This is sort of a flash back post in a way. These days my main content is fabric based. Once upon a time I posted recipes regularly and shared what my growing family was up to. The current “season” of my life is a bit different. I’m learning to cook smaller meals since my nest is emptying. Which in turn adds to the benefit of focusing on foods and drinks that are more adult geared.

Enter ginger beer. John and I recently became ginger beer obsessed. We love the bitey taste. The only bummer is that the really good ones are pricey. So, off to the internet I went to see how ginger beer was made. I quickly discovered it sounded “easy” to make at home.

Easy in quotes because there are steps involved. First - you need to make a ginger bug. I basically followed this recipe. It does take some dedication, but so far it’s been worth the effort to me.

My current dilemma is attaining really nice affordable sealing flip top bottles. Good ones that keep things super air tight. I do not recommend the IKEA ones.

My personal tips are : Make sure everything is clean. Use filtered water. Be mindful of the temperature of where you store it. Fermentation time will vary due to temperature. Get really good sealing bottles.

Since I’m new to this recipe I don’t feel comfortable giving a step by step walk through. So, Im just sharing some pictures of the process I follow.

Remember any home brewing is risky and always be wary of anything that smells off or looks bad.

The final mixture. Ginger bug juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and water.

My kitchen is usually a laboratory anyways, so this was a welcome addition. When it warms up I will be adding kombucha back to the mix too.

Below you can see that I don’t have any of the fancy things, Just some cotton cloths and mason jars. I wash and sterilize everything weekly. Even the sourdough starter jar.

A corner of my kitchen counter. The ginger beer fermenting in the left back. Sourdough starter front and center. My ginger bug in the back right.

I hope that helps those of you who asked questions on IG & FB. AGAIN I am not an expert of even a super proficient at this so Google your pants off on the topic and adventure at your own risk.

xo-Thea

The end result. I drink it as is or with a splash of vodka. :)