Ginger beer is a carbonated soft drink made with ginger and citrus oil. It was originally used for medicinal purposes and could be brewed with basic equipment. Golden ginger ale was naturally carbonated and too robust for some, leading to the creation of dry ginger ale. Recipes for golden ginger ale exist, but it takes several weeks to make. Some regions add mint flavoring to the dry drink and use it in cooking.
Ginger beer is a carbonated soft drink flavored primarily with ginger essence and perhaps a citrus oil to balance out the natural peppery tartness. It’s a popular mixer for some cocktails and mixed drinks, and it’s also the main ingredient in a non-alcoholic mocktail known as Shirley Temple. Many people like to mix the drink with frozen sherbet and fruit concentrate to form a very sweet and refreshing joint drink at parties and receptions.
Ginger has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, which is most likely how the idea of converting it into a consumable drink came about. As a medicinal soda, ginger beer predates most popular sodas originally invented as digestive aids, such as Coca-Cola or 7-Up. It could be brewed with basic distillation equipment and additives such as brewer’s yeast, sugar, and clean water. This process produced a potent form of drink known as golden ginger ale. Allowing the ginger/yeast/sugar mixture to ferment longer would produce an alcoholic beverage known as “ginger ale,” which can still be found on some store shelves today.
Golden Ginger Ale was naturally carbonated with tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide, just like real ale. Some consumers have often found this version too robust for their tastes, and soft drink manufacturers have been working on a more palatable alternative. The result was a blend of ginger-flavored simple syrup and carbonated water, considered a dry ginger ale due to its underlying acidity. While it’s still possible to buy a true golden ginger beer like Buffalo Rock or Vernor’s, dry varieties like Schweppes and Canada Dry seem to be far more popular with modern consumers.
There are recipes available online and in home brewers’ manuals that describe the process of making golden ginger ale. The process can take several weeks to complete, and great care must be taken when it comes to natural carbonation, but the result is said to be a stronger form with a different flavor than modern drinks made mostly with flavored syrups. In some regions of the United States, mint flavoring is added to the dry drink and often used in place of boiling water when preparing bratwurst or other sausages.
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