About Ginger Beer
Ginger beer is a brewed alcoholic drink that uses ginger as its defining ingredient, hence the name. It is one of the most misunderstood beer types of the world because of nominal relations to other drink varieties.
Identification
The process of brewing and fermentation is similar to lager beers, only ginger, sugar, tartar, yeast and water are used--rather than wheat, barley and hops. The result is a very distinct ginger flavor that's zesty, and almost spicy. The color is more akin to lemonade than beer.
Features
Ginger doesn't lend itself as well to fermentation as wheat, which leads to lower alcohol counts. Typical ginger beer is in the 2 to 3 percent alcohol range, although several brands claim 5 to 7 percent. The fermentation process is less stable for ginger beer, so the drink is bottled before fermentation is completed.
Geography
Ginger beer has come to be associated with Jamaica, where ginger is popular and British heritage remains; ginger beer was very popular in the British empire. Dark and Stormy, a cocktail that contains ginger beer and rum, allegedly hails from Jamaica.
History
The first commercially-recorded ginger beers appeared in England around the mid 18th century. They became widespread over the next hundred years or so, but never attained the success of other beers. After the popularity of soda fountains faded in the early 1960s. both ginger beer and its root beer relatives became relatively obscure.
Benefits
Like other drinks containing ginger, ginger beer has healing and medicinal properties, and may combat infections and colds.
Misconceptions
Ginger beer is often confused with ginger ale, a non-alcoholic soft drink that uses far less ginger and simpler ingredients. Unlike ginger beer, ginger ale is produced in large quantities by Canada Dry and Schweppes. The two beverages have very little in common.
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