What is ginger beer?
Ginger beer is a ginger-based soft drink that is traditionally produced by natural fermentation. During this process, carbonic acid and a spicy ginger aroma develop.
Does ginger beer contain alcohol?
Typically, ginger beer does not contain any alcohol, but there are a few brands that produce ginger beer with alcohol.
The history of ginger beer
Ginger beer was first made popular during the Victorian age. The soft drink was especially popular in Great Britain, Ireland, Canada and South Africa. Since ginger beer was created using fermentation, it usually contained alcohol. After the British parliament passed new import and export taxes for drinks that contained more than 2% alcohol, most brands started reducing the alcohol content of their products.
Traditionally, ginger beer was stored in stoneware bottles. This was not only to hide the cloudy appearance of the liquid but also to make sure that not too much carbonic acid would get lost during long transports.
It took until the beginning of Prohibition for the popularity of ginger beer to decline in favour of the lighter tasting ginger ale.
How is ginger beer produced?
Ginger beer is traditionally produced through a fermentation process with ginger spice, sugar and yeast. The short fermentation results in the natural production of carbonic acid but is not long enough to create a noticeable amount of alcohol. To simplify the production, most ginger beers are produced without fermentation today. Instead, the intense ginger taste is reproduced by using larger amounts of ginger, spices and other ingredients. The carbonic acid is added artificially in this case.
How does ginger beer differ from ginger ale?
Ginger beer differs from ginger ale mostly in its appearance and flavour: Ginger ale is clear and presents a milder ginger taste, while ginger beer has a noticeably spicier flavour and is more intense. That’s why ginger beer is not as suited for the creation of mixed drinks, e.g. a Moscow Mule.
Ginger beer at Gustero
Our selection of ginger beers is still relatively small – however, we make sure that all our products match our high-quality standards. Try, for example, the aromatic Fever-Tree Premium Ginger Beer! Fever-Tree is a modern soft drink brand from London, which sells tonic water, Madagascan cola, bitter lemon, ginger ale, and, of course, a delicious ginger beer. The careful crafting process ensures that all aroma agents stay intact.
