Ginger Beer

1. 1Fresh raw ginger as the dominant, fiery flavor
2. 2Steeping (not boiling) the grated ginger to extract heat and aroma
3. 3Sweetened with sugar to balance the burn
4. 4Brightened with lime and often pineapple
5. 5Served cold and strained, non-alcoholic despite the name

Grating or blending raw ginger

Maximizes extraction of ginger's pungent oils into the water

Cold steeping

Draws out heat and aroma while keeping the drink raw and bright

Straining

Removes fibrous pulp for a clean, drinkable liquid

Served

Chilled in a glass or bottle, well strained

Temperature

cold

Portion

individual glass

Pairs with

street snacks · rice dishes · grilled meats

• Lime → Lemonadmissible

  A workable acid swap

• Pineapple → Omitadmissible

  Optional; the drink remains itself without it

• Fresh ginger → Ground dried gingerinadmissible

  Dried ginger lacks the fresh fiery oils and yields a muddy, dull drink

• Non-alcoholic steeping → Fermented brewing with yeastinadmissible

  Fermenting it turns it into an alcoholic/carbonated brew, a different beverage

• Using dried ground ginger instead of fresh, killing the fiery character
• Not straining, leaving gritty fibers in the drink
• Oversweetening so the ginger heat is masked
• Confusing it with the fermented carbonated British ginger beer

A fresh non-alcoholic ginger refresher made across the West African coast; despite the English name 'beer' it is unfermented, distinct from the British fermented ginger beer.

Shared by: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria

1. 1.West African home and street beverage tradition

Confidence: high