Make your own · Ginger beer
Brew it like Q Mixers Ginger Beer
A starting-point batch to brew something in the spirit of Q Mixers Ginger Beer — steered toward its own profile. Treat the amounts as a base and adjust to taste.
Makes about 1 gallon (roughly 10 servings).
Ingredients
- 1 gallon cold water
- 4–6 oz fresh ginger, grated (or a live ginger bug)
- about 1 cup sugar, to taste
- 1/4 tsp champagne or ale yeast (to bottle-condition) — or skip and force-carbonate
Steps
- Heat about half the water; dissolve the sugar, then stir in the extract or aromatics and any tuning additions below.
- Steep off the heat to taste, then strain out any solids.
- Top up to one gallon with cold water and cool to room temperature.
- To carbonate: bottle with a pinch of yeast and ~1/4 tsp sugar per bottle, cap, and leave at room temp 2–4 days until fizzy — then refrigerate (open carefully). Or force-carbonate and skip the yeast.
- Chill well and serve over ice.
To taste like Q Mixers Ginger Beer
- Simmer a cinnamon stick and a few cloves with the base, then strain.
- Add extra fresh-grated ginger (and a pinch of cayenne) for the warming heat.
- Add a small bundle of fresh herbs (sarsaparilla, dandelion) while steeping.
- Finish with a splash of fruit juice or a few crushed cherries.
- Steep the base longer and cool it slowly for a longer, lingering finish.
What you’ll need
Supplies from our store, matched to this recipe.
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