North Americans Love Ginger Beer, But It Originated Across The Pond (2024)

It's not surprising that North Americans love ginger beer. It's a wonderfully spicy addition to the drink quiver, and it makes up the better part of popular alcoholic beverages like the Dark and Stormy and the Moscow Mule. Unlike its sweeter cousin, ginger ale, this beverage is usually brewed from ginger root and has a more powerful spicy flavor.North Americans consume more ginger beer than those on any other continent (per Future Market Insights), but they can't lay claim to the beverage's origin. Those rights go to the British.

The consumption of ginger beer is generally believed to date backto 18th-century England. The English were in a good position to produce the beverage since the flavor of ginger beer and its fermentation relied on ginger and sugar, and the country had plenty of it. Due to European colonialism of the Caribbean, England had been importing sugar and millions of pounds of ginger farmed by people kept as slaves in Jamaica since the mid-1500s. By the time the 1700s rolled around, this once-exotic spice was more commonplace. Since the English were also armed with centuries of mead and beerbrewing knowledge, creating ginger beer was a cinch.

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The Earliest Ginger Beers

North Americans Love Ginger Beer, But It Originated Across The Pond (1)

People had been adding ginger to different mead and ale concoctionspretty much since ginger arrived in the British Isles, likelyfor medicinal reasons or to spice up the beverages with new flavors. These weren't true ginger beers, but they probably evolved into them. The first true ginger beers came later, when the unique process of fermenting ginger with yeast and bacteria was stumbled upon, though the specific origins of the discovery are somewhat murky.

We do know, however, that these early ginger beers contained a low alcohol content due to the fermentation process, similar to the "small beers" the British had been drinking since the Middle Ages in place of unclean drinking water.These small beers were often brewed at home from spent mash that had already been used to brew more powerful beers. Ginger beer was likely brewed at home in a similar fashion, and because of its low alcohol content, it would've provided the same hydrating benefits as small beers. Ginger beer contained the added bonus of the spice's medicinal qualities.

Ginger beer grew in popularity across England, eventually being mass-produced in stoneware bottles. The sturdy thickness of these bottlesallowed them to be shipped across the Atlantic to a growing North American market as colonization settled in.The love of ginger beer followed the colonists to the Americas, whereit would grow into the biggest market for the beveragein the world a few centuries later.

Read the original article on Mashed.

North Americans Love Ginger Beer, But It Originated Across The Pond (2024)

FAQs

North Americans Love Ginger Beer, But It Originated Across The Pond? ›

North Americans consume more ginger beer than those on any other continent (per Future Market Insights), but they can't lay claim to the beverage's origin. Those rights go to the British. The consumption of ginger beer is generally believed to date back to 18th-century England.

Where does ginger beer originate? ›

Ginger Beer Origins

Ginger Beer was first created in Yorkshire, England in the 1700s during the colonial spice trade. It was made by mixing ginger, sugar water and optional lemon and/or cream of tarter together and leaving it to sit and ferment.

Do Americans have ginger beer? ›

Ginger beer first appeared during the 18th century and enjoyed immense popularity in the UK and among British colonialists in the Caribbean. Inevitably it made its way to the US where its popularity peaked in the 19th century.

What is the history of the ginger beer plant? ›

Ginger beer plant

The GBP was first described by Ward in 1892, from samples he received in 1887. Also known as "bees wine", "Palestinian bees", "Californian bees", and "balm of Gilead", it is not a plant but a composite organism comprising the yeast Saccharomyces florentinus (formerly S.

Where did ginger ale originate? ›

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.

What the heck is ginger beer? ›

Ginger beer is a sweetened, carbonated beverage with an intense ginger flavor and spicy kick. Ginger beer originated in England and it was made by fermenting and brewing sugar, ginger, water and sometimes lemon with a starter culture called the ginger beer plant.

Is ginger beer good for your stomach? ›

Ginger root, a plant indigenous to southern China, contains hundreds of compounds that provide several important benefits to those who ingest it. Drinking ginger beer can help reduce inflammation, promote digestion, relieve nausea, and even help in the prevention of cancer.

Does ginger beer give you a buzz? ›

Ginger beer was also a great way to get buzzed. Ginger beer was typically drunk "green," that is, as soon as possible, at a relatively low alcohol content. However, the Huffington post notes that ginger beer could (and can) reach an ABV of around 11%, roughly twice the strength of a typical light beer.

Why is ginger beer so expensive? ›

It is expensive to do it, and ginger juice makes such a big component that to make it it's our highest cost per production beer that we make.

Does ginger beer contain caffeine? ›

Real ginger beer is mildly alcoholic. It has a strong ginger taste, but little to no caffeine. Ginger ale is so dilute that compared to ginger beer it has almost no ginger taste.

Why is ginger beer no longer alcoholic? ›

Modern ginger beer is not fermented, but is instead carbonated, making it a soft drink. This ginger beer typically contains less than . 5 percent alcohol, and is not classified as an alcoholic beverage.

How much alcohol is in ginger beer? ›

Ginger beer may contain small amounts of alcohol (0.5%) from the fermentation process. Ginger ale is a popular highball mixer, whereas ginger beer features in co*cktails like the Moscow Mule and Dark and Stormy.

Can you drink ginger beer by itself? ›

Since ginger beer is a soft drink, it's excellent to enjoy by itself. However, it's also a firm favourite when it comes to mixing up popular co*cktails such as Moscow Mules and Dark 'n' Stormy. At Gunna, we think that ginger beer pairs particularly well with rum, although, we're down to try almost anything.

Was ginger beer originally alcoholic? ›

Ginger beer – the delicious, brewed, fermented beverage that we all know and love – first appeared around the mid-1700s in England. It was initially made as a fermented alcoholic beverage using ginger, sugar and water.

Why does ginger ale make me cough? ›

In fact, the carbonation is so powerful, that it has been known to lead to coughing fits if it is breathed in. Regardless of this side effect, people still love it and continue to drink it.

Is there a difference between ginger ale and ginger beer? ›

Ginger beer was originally an alcoholic brew made from fermenting ginger, sugar, and water, although most commercial ginger beers nowadays are non-alcoholic. Ginger ale is a non-alcoholic, sweetened, ginger-flavored soft drink. Ginger beer is stronger-tasting and spicier than ginger ale, but less carbonated.

Why is it called ginger beer if it's not beer? ›

Ginger beer is a drink originating from England, where sugar, ginger, water, and sometimes lemon were fermented and brewed with a starter culture called the ginger beer plant, resulting in a brew with about 11 percent alcohol. This also explains how the word “beer” is part of the name.

Which is healthier, ginger ale or ginger beer? ›

Ginger beer and ginger ale do not differ greatly in terms of nutritional values. Ginger ale is the lighter option, with 125.1 calories and 32.3 grams of sugar per can (12 fl oz). Ginger beer is a bit heavier but nevertheless very close to ginger ale, with 140 calories and 35 grams of sugar per can or bottle (12 fl oz).

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