West African Ginger Beer

Name: West African Ginger Beer
Ingredients: 2 quarts water; ½ pound fresh ginger , thinly sliced; ½ cup fresh lemon juice; 1 cup honey; Ice cubes

Chef

Eric Copage

View

Cookbook

Fruits of the Harvest: Recipes to Celebrate Kwanzaa and Other Holidays

Published by Amistad

View

This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Honey gives this version an elusive sweetness, tempering the spicy sharpness of the fresh ginger. There’s no reason to peel the fresh ginger (in this or any other recipe) unless the esthetics of the skin bother you. If you insist on peeling, a vegetable peeler does a quick and efficient job. Yes, it is very fine with a little rum sneaked into the glass, but it’s not de rigueur.

NotesGinger beer is a favorite drink in West Africa and the Caribbean, where it floats from island to island in slightly different forms. Audie Odum-Stallato created her version from one she had in West Africa. “I love the way the pepperiness of the ginger in this drink plays on your tongue,” she says.

CostInexpensive

Easy

Total Timeunder 2 hours

Make Ahead RecipeYes

OccasionCasual Dinner Party, Family Get-together

Recipe Coursebeverage

Five Ingredients or LessYes

Mealbrunch, dinner, lunch

Moodtired

Taste and Texturespiced, sweet, tangy

Type of Dishnon-alcoholic beverage

Ingredients

2 quarts water
½ pound fresh ginger, thinly sliced
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup honey
Ice cubes

Instructions

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups of the water with the ginger, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and honey, and let cool completely.
Strain the ginger mixture into a large pitcher, and add the remaining 1½ quarts water. Add the ice cubes, and let stand until well chilled before serving.