Ginger beer

What is Ginger beer?

Ginger beer is a carbonated soft drink with a strong ginger flavour and a sweet taste. It is usually non-alcoholic, though it started as a fermented drink that could contain alcohol. The main ingredients are ginger, sugar, yeast and water. Some versions may include lemon juice or cream of tartar. The drink is bubbly and ranges from pale to golden in colour. Compared to ginger ale, ginger beer is less sweet and has a more pronounced ginger kick.

Where does Ginger beer come from?

Ginger beer was first brewed in Yorkshire, England in the mid-18th century. It reached Canada and the United States by around 1790. Originally, it was an alcoholic drink, sometimes as strong as 11% alcohol, but English law limited this to 2% in 1855. Its popularity peaked in England and Canada in the 1930s and in the United States in 1920, before Prohibition led to a shift toward ginger ale. The original method used a symbiotic culture called the ginger beer plant, but most modern production uses simpler yeast fermentation or artificial carbonation.

How is Ginger beer made?

Traditional ginger beer is made by fermenting ginger, sugar and water with a starter culture. The original starter, known as the ginger beer plant, is a jelly-like mix of yeast and Lactobacillus bacteria. This mixture is left to ferment for several days, converting some sugar into alcohol and creating natural carbonation. An alternative method uses a 'ginger bug', a homemade starter of ginger, sugar, water and yeast. Today, most commercial ginger beer is not brewed but manufactured with added flavours and carbonated with pressurized gas.

How and when is Ginger beer eaten?

Ginger beer is served cold, either on its own or as a mixer in cocktails. It is a key ingredient in drinks like the Moscow Mule and Dark 'N' Stormy. In Britain, it has also been mixed with ale to make a type of shandy. It is enjoyed as a refreshing soft drink and is often chosen for its spicy ginger taste. Some people still make it at home using traditional fermentation methods.

Kinds of Ginger beer

There are both alcoholic and non-alcoholic versions of ginger beer. Alcoholic types are labelled to distinguish them from the more common soft drink. The traditional ginger beer plant is now rare, and most homemade versions use a ginger bug or commercial yeast. Commercial ginger beers may include flavour and colour additives, and are often less spicy than homemade ones. Regional names like 'bees wine' and 'balm of Gilead' refer to the traditional fermented drink.

What Ginger beer means

Ginger beer has a long history in England and North America, where it was once a popular homemade and street-sold drink. It played a role in social life, being passed down through families and shared among friends. Though less common today, it remains important in cocktail culture and is still produced by enthusiasts. Its production and sale have even figured in legal history, as in the 1932 UK court case Donoghue v Stevenson.

Questions people ask about Ginger beer

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Ginger beer on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data