The History of Ginger Beer (2024)

FAQs

The History of Ginger Beer? ›

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.

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.

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. As a result, traditional ginger beer contained around 11 percent alcohol; this is also why beer became part of its name.

As trade routes expanded, ginger found its way to Europe where it was incorporated into a variety of beverages. In the 18th century, English settlers in the Caribbean discovered that fermenting ginger with sugar and water produced a fizzy and delicious drink.

Ginger beer's historical spice trail

Originating in the 18th century in England, this ginger-infused concoction was initially brewed at home. Over time, it became a staple in the Caribbean, where the locals added their own twists, resulting in the spicy and sweet ginger beer we adore today.

Brewed ginger beer originated in Yorkshire in England in the mid-18th century and became popular throughout Britain, the United States, Ireland, South Africa and Canada, reaching a peak of popularity in the early 20th century.

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.

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.

The ginger beer plant is made up of two organisms, the yeast Saccharomyces florentinus (Saccharomyces pyriformis) and the bacterium Lactobacillus hilgardii (Brevibacterium vermiforme).

A yeast would be put into contact with sugar, water, ginger root and any additional flavouring required. The yeast, a fungus consisting of a single cell and invisible to the human eye, would convert the sugar into carbon dioxide—AKA the fizz in the drink—and ethanol, a form of alcohol.

Why is it called ginger beer if there is no alcohol? ›

So Why Is It Still Called Ginger Beer If It's Not Really Beer? That has to do with how it's made. Making non-alcoholic ginger beer still involves aspects of brewing, but fizziness is added using forced carbonation rather than fermentation.

Ginger Beer is undeniably the star of this co*cktail. It's rumoured that the name – Mule – comes from the kick that you get from the first sip of Ginger Beer.

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.

Ginger beer packs a punch with its bold flavor profile. Its key ingredients are carbonated water, cane sugar, and ginger root, which gives it a strong and spicy ginger flavor with a balanced sweetness. Many ginger beers also contain lemon or lime extract for a note of tangy citrus to round out the strong ginger flavor.

While these two drinks were once identical, ginger ale is typically sweeter, non-alcoholic, and made using artificial carbonation. Ginger beer tends to be spicier and is carbonated via fermentation. As a result, it may contain alcohol, though sometimes in amounts as low as 0.5% ABV.

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.

History. Thomas Joseph Cantrell, an Irish apothecary and surgeon, manufactured the first ginger ale in Belfast, Ireland, in the 1850s.

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).

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.