Gosling's Ginger Beer Recipe

Prepare ginger

Peel and finely grate or mince enough fresh ginger to yield about 200 g. Measure and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine 1 liter of water, the grated ginger, sugar, salt and any optional whole spices. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer 8 minutes to extract ginger flavor. Taste — it should be pungent and sweet.

Remove from heat and let the concentrate steep for 20–30 minutes for a stronger ginger character. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof pitcher, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids.

Pour the strained ginger-sugar liquid into a clean container and add the remaining 1 liter of cold water to make approximately 2 liters total. Stir to combine and allow the mixture to cool until it is warm but not hot — about 30–40°C (90–105°F). If it is cooler than 40°C proceed; hotter will kill the yeast.

Activate yeast

In a small cup stir the active dry yeast into 60 ml of lukewarm water (35–40°C) and let sit 5 minutes until foamy. If it doesn't get foamy, the yeast may be dead—use fresh yeast.

Stir the foamy yeast and 60 ml of water used to bloom it into the cooled ginger liquid along with the fresh lime juice. Mix thoroughly so yeast is evenly distributed.

Transfer the ginger beer evenly into clean bottles, leaving about 2–3 cm headspace. Seal bottles tightly. Use PET or flip-top bottles rated for pressure; do not use thin glass that can shatter during secondary fermentation.

Leave bottles at room temperature (20–24°C / 68–75°F) for 24–48 hours to build carbonation. Check pressure after 24 hours by gently opening one bottle to test carbonation. When desired fizz is reached, move bottles to the refrigerator to slow fermentation.

Refrigerate at least 12 hours before serving. Keep chilled and consume within 7–10 days. Burp bottles (open briefly) if they feel over-pressurized before fully chilling.

Serve over ice with a lime wedge and a mint sprig. For a classic Gosling's Dark 'n Stormy-style pairing (non-alcoholic base here), pour chilled ginger beer over ice and garnish with lime; add rum if desired for alcoholic version.