How to Make Ginger Ale [Homemade Recipe] - My Fermented Foods (2024)

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How to Make Ginger Ale [Homemade Recipe] - My Fermented Foods (1)

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Ginger ale is a non-alcoholic and refreshing drink made of fresh ginger and carbonated sweetened water. It’s probably the easiest soda you can make at home with little effort.

It can be consumed directly to enhance your energy levels and feel fresh or used as a base to improve the flavors of spirit-based drinks.

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Ginger Ale vs Ginger Beer

A lot of people mix up Ginger Ale and Ginger Beer. They are two completely different drinks. Ginger beer is brewed and fermented drink, while ginger ale is a carbonated beverage flavored with ginger.

Ginger beer is an alcoholic beverage prepared from water, fermenting ginger, sugar, and a starter culture. Ginger beer has stronger flavors with a mild spicy touch when compared to ginger ale.

Ginger Ale benefits

Ginger Ale offers the following benefits:

  • It can improve your immune system functions thereby protecting you against recurrent attacks of allergies and infections. This is why patients who suffer from allergic dermatitis, rhinitis, and chronic sinusitis are advised to drink Ginger Ale on a regular basis. Ginger Ale can promote metabolic rate and fat burning processes and stimulate weight loss.
  • Ginger in this beverage has the potential to support the functions of the digestive system. It can provide relief for constipation, bloating, indigestion, and heaviness in the stomach.
  • Ginger Ale can regulate the production of mucus in the respiratory passages thereby relieving the symptoms of common cold and other respiratory infections such as nose block, cough, congestion, and sneezing.
  • Ginger Ale has powerful anti-cancer potential. It can support the body’s natural ability to destroy cancer cells thereby reducing the risk of cancer.
How to Make Ginger Ale [Homemade Recipe] - My Fermented Foods (2)

How to make Ginger Ale

You can make ginger ale at home in less than an hour. It is that simple and easy. The main ingredient is fresh ginger. You can get fresh ginger from your local supermarket produce section. You can make ginger syrup using fresh ginger and granulated sugar.

To make ginger ale you will need either club soda or seltzer water.

Club soda is carbonated water that has been infused with minerals such as potassium sulfate, sodium chlorine, sodium bicarbonate and others. The minerals give water a slightly salty taste.

Seltzer originated in Germany and is also carbonated water but with no added minerals. It can be enhanced with flavourings without alerting its taste which is why I recommend using it for your ginger ale.

You will also need fresh lemon or lime juice. I use lemon juice as I have all year lemon tree. However, using either of them will not impact the taste of your ginger ale.

You don’t need any special equipment to make ginger ale in your own kitchen. Equipment used is simple and includes a saucepan, bowl and a mesh strainer.

Once you have your ginger syrup ready you can make ginger ale by mixing ¼ of syrup and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per with ¾ cup seltzer. This is my perfect mix but you can adjust the ingredients to suit your own taste.

You don’t need any special equipment to make ginger ale in your own kitchen. Equipment used is simple and includes a saucepan, bowl and a mesh strainer.

Once you have your ginger syrup ready you can make ginger ale by mixing ¼ of syrup and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per with ¾ cup seltzer. This is my perfect mix but you can adjust ingredients to suit you own taste.

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How to Make Ginger Ale [Homemade Recipe] - My Fermented Foods (3)

Ginger Ale Recipe

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  • Author: Gigi Mitts
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2 quarts 1x
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Description

Ginger ale is a non-alcoholic and refreshing drink made of fresh ginger and carbonated sweetened water.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 cup of fresh ginger
  • 2 cups of water
  • ¼ cup of granulated sugar
  • ¼ fresh lemon or lime juice
  • 4 cups of cold club soda or seltzer water

Instructions

  1. Prepare ginger: Peel the ginger and cut it into small cubes.
  2. Simmer ginger: Place the ginger and water into a small saucepan and set over medium heat. Let the ginger simmer for about 30 minutes then remove it from the heat. Remove the saucepan from the stove and let ginger sit in the saucepan for another 10 minutes.
  3. Make syrup: Pour the ginger syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing down to get all of the juice out of the mixture. Discard ginger pieces. Place the ginger syrup back into the saucepan then add granulated sugar. Bring to simmer for about 10 minutes.
  4. Cool the syrup: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Set it aside and let the ginger syrup cool completely.
  5. Assemble: Serve it by mixing ¼ of syrup and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice per ¾ cup seltzer. Serve over ice. Place the remaining syrup in a mason jar and refrigerate it for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

Equipment:small saucepan, bowl and a mesh strainer

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 80
  • Sugar: 20 grams
  • Sodium: 17mg
  • Saturated Fat: 0 grams
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0 grams
  • Trans Fat: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

FAQs

Is ginger ale good for you?

Ginger Ale offers benefits such as faster weight loss and improved energy levels. It can refresh your senses after a tiring day and reduce weakness, lethargy, and body pains. Ginger Ale is specifically good for people who suffer from recurrent respiratory problems like common cold, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, or sinusitis.

Does ginger ale have caffeine?

Traditionally prepared Ginger Ale does not contain caffeine. This is what makes it a superior refreshing beverage. It can act as a stimulant and increase your energy levels without creating the short-term and long-term side effects of caffeine consumption.

Ginger ale calories

It is estimated that a 100-gram serving of Ginger Ale contains 34 calories. This is why it is also suitable for people who are conscious of their calorie intake and want to lose weight.

The calorie content, as well as the amount of carbohydrates in this beverage, is much lower than the commercially available soft drinks and carbonated beverage. This makes Ginger Ale a safer alternative to increase energy levels and feel refreshed even for patients with diabetes.

Conclusion

Ginger Ale is very easy to prepare and does not require you to put in much time and effort. This naturally refreshing drink may offer several health benefits. Its therapeutic effect on your digestion and respiratory system and stimulatory effect of your brain and immune system can help in the prevention of several diseases and help keep you healthy and active. Therefore, it’s definitely worth making ginger ale at home.

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How to Make Ginger Ale [Homemade Recipe] - My Fermented Foods (2024)

FAQs

Does ginger ale have probiotics? ›

The results showed that there were probiotic bacteria in ginger ale, from the Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Micrococcus genus. Organoleptic test results by panelists showed that ginger ale from ginger emprit has a good taste. In addition, it is found to contain a phenolic compound (flavonoid group), namely luteolin.

What type of fermentation is ginger ale? ›

Traditional ginger ale is fermented from a microbial starter culture (yeast or ginger bug), sugar, fresh ginger root, other flavourings and water.

What is homemade ginger ale made of? ›

You can make homemade ginger ale with just four ingredients—including fresh ginger root—and it's much easier than you may think. Our simple homemade ginger ale recipe combines carbonated water, ginger-infused simple syrup, and citrus (we like lime juice, but lemon juice is an easy swap if preferred).

How does ginger help in fermentation? ›

The basic principle is that ginger skin has a large number of bacteria and yeast that are ready to be activated. Mixing the ingredients together allows the water to be oxygenated, activating the micro-organisms and encouraging their multiplication.

Is ginger ale good for your gut? ›

Ginger ale could actually do more harm than good.

“Too much sugar could trigger inflammation and may increase bloating and gas, which could further irritate an upset stomach,” he told HuffPost.

Is fermented ginger ale good for you? ›

Many commercial ginger ales contain little ginger and a lot of added sugar, but some traditional varieties contain real fermented ginger root. Ginger may offer benefits for heart health, headaches, and nausea, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

How long does it take for ginger ale to ferment? ›

Once your tester bottle is rigid that means it's nice and fizzy and ready to drink. This can take between 2 and 7 days as there are many variables that can affect this, such as the temperature of your kitchen.

What bacteria is in ginger ale? ›

The results showed that there were probiotic bacteria in ginger ale, from the Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and Micrococcus genus.

What is a fermented ginger drink called? ›

It is time for “ginger bug” to have its day in the sun as a fermented tonic drink in its own right. Long considered just a starter for ginger beer, this quick to ferment beverage is low in sugar, spicy, warming and pungent. In our house, we enjoy it straight up.

What is the best yeast for ginger ale? ›

Yeast. Ginger ale is a light, refreshing beverage, so neutral ale yeasts that throw off minimal esters and phenols are best. There's no need to get fancy; simple dry yeasts like S-04 and US-05 are great choices, with S-04 producing a slightly fruitier version and US-05 a little cleaner.

How much alcohol is in homemade ginger ale? ›

Alcohol Content – Homemade Ginger Ale (7 Days)
DaysABV %Notes
10.26%Very light and sweet
20.79%Same
31.31%Beginning to taste a little alcoholic
41.31%Same
3 more rows
Aug 8, 2020

How was ginger ale originally made? ›

Originally, ginger beer came first invented in England around the 1800s with Ireland following hot on their heels developing ginger ale in the 1851. ginger beer was brewed using ginger, sugar, water. It travelled across the Atlantic, soon to become one of Canada's favourite soft drinks.

When not to take ginger? ›

Pregnant or breastfeeding women, people with heart conditions, and people with diabetes should not take ginger without talking to their doctors. DO NOT take ginger if you have a bleeding disorder or if you are taking blood-thinning medications, including aspirin.

Is ginger good for high blood pressure? ›

Several studies in both humans and animals have shown that ginger consumption can lower blood pressure levels in certain ways. Ginger acts as a natural calcium channel blocker and ACE inhibitor. Meanwhile, calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors are both medications used to treat high blood pressure.

Is it OK to drink ginger ale everyday? ›

Ginger ale in moderation is safe for most people. That said, artificial sweeteners in diet versions and added sugar in regular versions may have negative health effects. Large amounts of ginger may also interact with blood thinners.

Why do doctors recommend ginger ale? ›

Ginger, a member of the plant family that includes turmeric and cardamom, has been proven to be effective at treating nausea and vomiting — two hallmarks of a classic upset stomach. In fact, ginger is even used to treat morning sickness, muscle pain and menstrual pain.

Why do doctors give you ginger ale? ›

Both ginger ale and apple juice are relatively easy on the stomach, so if there is any residual stomach upset or nausea they would be less likely to aggravate it. Some hospitals offer additional options, such as popsicles or 7up (or some other variety of clear lemon-lime carbonated drink).

Is Canada Dry ginger ale good for you? ›

In either case, ginger ale is still soda, and numerous studies have linked drinking soda with an increased risk of obesity. "Ginger ale is not classified as a health food and should be consumed in moderation," advises Jamie Bering, MD, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

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