As we think of more products to roll out this summer for both Heaven Preserve Us and to serve at La Petite Bouchee we were both automatically drawn to ginger beer. We both love ginger and there is always an extra-large ginger root in the kitchen for soups, stews, stir fry’s, curries and tea. To say ginger is one of our favourite things is an understatement. Today we’re making ginger beer. I like mine incredibly fiery, Caroline less, however, today there has been a compromise. I’ve added rum and so it’s just fine !
Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is a metre tall flowering plant in the Zingiberaceae family with narrow green leaves and clusters of white and pink flower buds that bloom into yellow flowers. It is one of our favourite spices, whether sliced into a stir-fry for flavour and kick or into a mug with lemon and honey, with hot water poured over it to soothe a sore throat. It is one of our favourite spices, whether sliced into a stir-fry for flavour and kick or into a mug with lemon and honey, with hot water poured over it to soothe a sore throat or made into ginger beer to refresh you on a hot day.
Brewed ginger beer started life in Yorkshire in England in the mid-18th century and became popular throughout Britain, the United States, Ireland, and Canada, reaching a peak of popularity in the early 20th century. Brewed ginger beer was brought to the Ionian Islands by the British Army in the 19th century, and is still made as a local specialty known as tsitsibíra by villagers on Corfu.
The use of a ginger beer plant turns the initial Ginger mixture into ginger beer. Ginger beer plant (GBP) is not really a plant but a composite organism consisting of a fungus, the yeast Saccharomyces florentinus and the bacterium Lactobacillus hilgardii, which form a symbiotic colony of bacteria and
yeast. Ginger beer plant (GBP) is a gelatinous substance, a group of tiny grains, like semi-transparent rice granules. Forms of live culture other than the ginger beer plant can produce a fermented ginger beer. Cultures used include brewers or baker’s yeast, lactic acid bacteria, kefir grains, and tibicos. Brewing ginger beer generates carbon dioxide as in beer. The alcohol content, when produced by the traditional process can be high, up to 11%, although ginger beer is usually brewed with much less alcohol.
The GBP was first described by Harry Marshall Ward in 1892. Original ginger beer is made by leaving water, sugar, ginger, and GBP to ferment. GBP may be obtained from several commercial sources or from yeast banks. Most genuine ginger beer plant today has its origins from the German Culture Bank, one of the few places that preserved this symbiotic culture before it became completely extinct.
Brewed ginger beer usually includes lemon or lime juice because they establish an acidic pH balance for the solution; which helps protect the ginger beer from other cultures and helps metabolise fructose and glucose. Other ingredients added to increase flavour include citrus zest, cayenne pepper or other spice. Here are three different Ginger Beer recipes. The first is a traditional recipe using a Ginger Beer Plant, the second is Traditional Jamaican Ginger Beer (normally served still) and the last is a really simple version. The longer you keep your Ginger Beer, the more potent it becomes.
Recipe
Ingredients
2 lb of fresh ginger root, peeled and roughly chopped
2.5 litres of hot water
3 whole cloves
1 tbsp cream of tartar ( for fizz)
80ml of freshly squeezed lime juice
300 g granulated sugar
A slug of dark rum ( you can omit this)
Method
Place the chopped up ginger in the blender in batches and blend with the hot water. Pour each batch into a very large bowl and once all the ginger and water is blended add cloves and cream of tartar to the bowl. Stir then cover and leave to steep overnight or for the best results. You can steep for less but I would recommend no less than four hours.In the morning/later strain the ginger through a muslin or fine sieve into another bowl then add lime juice, sugar and if you’ve decided to the rum. Stir a few times then pour into bottles and store in fridge.
Dark and Stormy
Once your ginger beer is ready why not try a Dark and Stormy made with rum and lime and ginger beer. It’s one of our favourites here at LOCF HQ.
Recipe ( serves 2)
Ingredients
1 jam jar/ mason jar
1 tbsp of brown granulated sugar
Crushed ice
120ml of dark rum
1/2 a bottle of homemade ginger beer ( use a can if you are not using homemade)
The juice of two limes
1 lime 1/2 cut into wedges 1/2 into slices
A slice of ginger
A sprig of mint
Method
Pour the ice into a strong blender and crush the ice. To prepare the mason jar add some lime juice to the rim of the jar then coat in the sugar. Next, pour the ice carefully into the mason jar enough to fill it 3/4 of the way up. Add the slice of ginger and two of the lime wedges before adding the rum and the lime juice.Stir for 10 seconds before topping up the jar with your ginger beer. Add more lime and a sprig or mint to garnish then serve, in the sunshine after the yardarm has passed it by.
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