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

Published January 26, 2019 Updated April 22, 2020 By Gigi Mitts 4 Comments

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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.

Table of Contents

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

Is ginger ale a probiotic? ›

Traditionally, ginger ale was prepared from fresh ginger, boiled and cooled water, whey, and cane sugar left to ferment for about a week or two. Ginger ale thus prepared had probiotic properties that were supposed to be healthy for the gut microbiome and immunity.

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

Add fresh lemon or lime juice and ginger bug or whey. Transfer to a 2 quart glass mason jar with an air-tight lid. Stir well and put lid on. Leave on the counter for 2-3 days until carbonated.

What are the ingredients in ginger ale? ›

Serving Size: 12 fl. Ingredients: CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND LESS THAN 2% OF: GINGER EXTRACT, NATURAL FLAVORS, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVATIVE), CARAMEL COLOR.

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.

Does ginger ale help your gut? ›

For some people, the carbonation in ginger ale and other fizzy beverages may help ease their gastrointestinal distress, Sassos said, while other people may find that it makes things worse. So it really depends on how your body responds.

What illnesses does ginger ale help with? ›

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.

What is the fermentation schedule for ale? ›

Ale fermentation of brewer's wort follows three phases: lag phase for three to 15 hours, exponential growth phase for one to four days, and stationary phase of yeast growth for three to 10 days. Here's a brief look at each of the phases in terms of yeast behavior.

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

What is fermented ginger good for? ›

Fermenting garlic and ginger can enhance their already numerous health benefits. As garlic and ginger go through the fermentation process, the number of probiotic bacteria in them increases. Consuming probiotic bacteria has many benefits including improving your digestive system and immune system.

What is the healthiest ginger ale? ›

Zevia Zero Calorie Ginger Ale

Based on the nutrition label, this ginger ale is the healthiest with 0 of everything. It's made with carbonated water, stevia, natural flavors, citric acid and ginger extract.

Which ginger ale has the most real ginger? ›

Reed's is packed with real, fresh ginger. We source our ginger sustainably from the Peruvian Amazon—a bold strain found nowhere else.

What are the two types of ginger ale? ›

There are two general types of ginger ale. Pale dry ginger ales tend to be less sweet, more acid, lighter, milder, and highly carbonated. Golden, or aromatic, ginger ales tend to be sweeter, less acid, darker, and generally more pungent.

Is ginger ale fermented? ›

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

Is Schweppes ginger ale made with real ginger? ›

VERIFY looked at the ingredients list of Seagram's ginger ale and found that the soda contains “ginger extract with other natural flavors.” Schweppes, Canada Dry and Great Value ginger ale do not include ginger in their ingredient list and instead only say “natural flavors.” According to the FDA, “natural flavors” can ...

How to make ale yeast at home? ›

Weigh out 1 gram of dry malt extract for every 10 milliliters of target starter volume. Add the dry malt extract to the vessel you will be boiling in. Add enough water to the boil vessel (dry malt already added) to reach the target starter volume. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of yeast nutrient to the boil vessel.

Does ginger act as a probiotic? ›

Lemon and ginger tea alone is not a probiotic, though some ingredients (like the ginger and turmeric included in our blend) have been relied upon for centuries to aid digestive health. To create a probiotic tea, we carefully add quality probiotics to our already delicious lemon and ginger blend.

What are the benefits of drinking ginger ale? ›

Ginger may offer benefits for heart health, headaches, and nausea, as well as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, varieties of ginger ale that contain more ginger may be better for your health. However, ginger ale may cause increased gassiness due to its carbonation.

When should you not drink ginger ale? ›

If a person has bloating, gas or indigestion, the carbonation and sugar may make it worse. Even diet ginger ale can be harmful because our bodies may not digest artificial sugars as well.”

Is ginger ale Anti Bacterial? ›

Gingerols--yes, the same ones that help suppress nausea and aid the digestive tract--contain properties that act as "bacterial inhibitors," meaning they stop or slow the growth of bacteria. Increased ginger intake is believed to help fight the growth of bacteria in the mouth as well as in the stomach.

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