homemade ginger ale

Yum! Refreshing. Seriously good. I have to admit I was skeptical. Even though I use yeast in a ton of baked goods, I was weirded out by using it in a beverage. I kept thinking it would make the stuff taste yeasty, which does not sound good. Yeast is used to provide carbonation, and I was delighted when the flavor was crisp and light.

Ingredients

3 oz fresh ginger
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp instant or active dry yeast
1 lemon
8 cups water

2 liters

Directions

Grate ginger or run it through a food processor. Add it to a 2 quart pot with sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once it reaches a rolling boil, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 1 hour.

Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer. Stir in yeast, the juice of 1 lemon, and the remaining water.

Stir well, and then transfer to 2 1-liter containers or a 2-liter bottle. Cap and leave out at room temperature for 48 hours, shaking occasionally.

The ginger ale should have achieve a good level of carbonation. Keep refrigerated, opening it every day or so to release excess carbonation.

2 days