Strawberry Ginger Beer
Soda that’s good for you? Yes, please! The key to making this gut-healthy drink is to start with a ginger bug.
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The key to making this gut-healthy drink is to start with a ginger bug. Similar in concept to a sourdough starter, a ginger bug is a fermented mixture of fresh ginger, evaporated cane juice and water, and it’s what gives homemade sodas a refreshing natural fizziness. The time it takes for the soda to fully ferment depends on the temperature in your home – if it’s warmer, 2 days should do it, but you might need up to 10 days if your home is on the cooler side.
See also Stone Fruit & Ginger White Sangria
Ingredients
Ginger bug
- 1 cup filtered water
- 4 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger, or as needed, divided
- 4 tsp organic evaporated cane juice (aka organic sugar), or as needed, divided
Beer
- 3 cups filtered water
- 2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
- ¼ cup organic evaporated cane juice (aka organic sugar)
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cups hulled fresh or thawed frozen strawberries
Equipment:
- 1 16-oz glass jar, sterilized
- 1 1-qt glass bottle with lid, sterilized
Preparation
- Prepare ginger bug: To a 16-oz glass jar, add 1 cup filtered water and 1 tbsp each ginger and cane juice and stir to combine. Cover jar with paper towel or a coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Let ferment in a warm place away from direct sunlight for 24 hours. Stir in 1 tsp each ginger and cane juice and let ferment in a warm place away from direct sunlight for another 24 hours. Stir well; mixture should fizz when stirred. If fizzy, proceed to Step 2. If ginger bug does not fizz, add 1 tsp each ginger and cane juice daily until it fizzes when stirred.
- Prepare beer: In a saucepan, bring 3 cups filtered water to a boil. Add 2 tbsp ginger and remove from heat. Stir in ¼ cup cane juice and honey until dissolved. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in lemon juice.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, purée strawberries. Arrange a fine-mesh sieve over top of a large pitcher or bowl. Strain strawberries through sieve into pitcher, pressing on solids; discard solids.
- Using sieve, strain honey mixture and ginger bug into strawberry liquid. Stir to combine and pour into 1-qt glass bottle. Seal tightly with lid and let ferment in a warm place away from direct sunlight, opening bottle every 24 hours to release pressure, until mixture reaches desired taste and fizziness, 2 to 10 days. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 1 cup
- Calories 97
- Carbohydrate Content 25 g
- Cholesterol Content 0 mg
- Fat Content 0 g
- Fiber Content 0 g
- Protein Content 0 g
- Saturated Fat Content 0 g
- Sodium Content 1 mg
- Sugar Content 24 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 0 g