Ginger beer

Ginger beer is unavailable in Russia as well as ginger ale. We have only poor Schweppes Dry Ginger Ale selling in a few Moscow supermarkets among other overpriced goods for overwealthy buyers.

Since I’ve learned Paul Clark’s ginger beer recipe I was keen on making some handmade ginger beer for my cocktails. One day I’ve made it, and now I’m ready to describe how it happens.

The main thing I have to say is that the beer was not ready to be consume. It was too burning, just like  a pepper. This ginger beer should be diluted half-and-half with soda water. Then it looses its burning and becomes dry and heavily ginger-flavoured low-carbonated drink.

To obtain sweeter and smoother ginger ale, it should be diluted with three or four parts of soda water and sugar should be added to taste too.

Ingredients (for 300-400 ml undiluted ginger beer):

• 500 ml water,
• 75 grams peeled ginger,
• 15-20 grams sugar,
• 20 ml fresh lime juice,
• a small piece of a bay leaf.

At first, bring water to the boil.

While water is getting boiled, chop the ginger.

Combine chopped ginger and bay leaf with boiling water, remove from heat and steep it covered for four hours at least.

Then strain liquid through cheesecloth and press solids to get as much liquid as it possible.

Add sugar and lime juice and stir.

Bottle, let sediment settle on the bottom and carefully pour lightened ginger beer out. Then re-bottle and keep in refrigerator.

Use diluted as it described above.