Karma Drinks Gingerella Recipe
Organic sparkling ginger beer.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Ginger Beer Base
Sparkling/Finishing
Method
Ginger Beer Base
Prepare ginger syrup
In a medium saucepan combine the grated fresh ginger, 1.5 cups cane sugar and 2 cups of the water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for 5 minutes to extract ginger flavor, then remove from heat and let steep, covered, for 30 minutes.
Strain syrup
Place a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth (or a nut milk bag) over a large heatproof bowl or pitcher. Pour the ginger-sugar mixture through, pressing/ squeezing the solids to extract as much liquid and ginger oil as possible. Discard solids. You should have a concentrated ginger syrup.
Make fermentation must
Pour the ginger syrup into a clean 2-liter (or 3–4 L) fermentation vessel. Add the remaining 4 cups of water and the fresh lime juice; stir to combine and cool the mixture to room temperature (if still warm).
Pitch yeast
When the liquid is at room temperature (about 20–25°C / 68–77°F), sprinkle 1/2 tsp active champagne yeast over the surface and gently stir to incorporate. Cover the vessel with a breathable cloth or loose lid to allow CO2 to escape during initial activity. Leave at warm room temperature (20–25°C) for 12–24 hours until you see small bubbles beginning to form — this indicates yeast activity.
Bottle for carbonation
Sanitize four 16-20 oz (500–600 ml) flip-top glass bottles (or standard soda bottles). Carefully funnel the fermented mixture into each bottle, leaving about 1–1.5 inches (2–3 cm) headspace. Use the cold filtered water (about 2 cups total) to top bottles if needed to reach the correct headspace. Seal bottles tightly.
Secondary carbonate
Leave bottles at room temperature (20–25°C) for 24–48 hours to build natural carbonation. Check pressure carefully: after 24 hours test one bottle by opening briefly; if carbonation is present and bottles feel firm, move to refrigeration. If still low, wait up to 48 hours but monitor to avoid over-pressurization.
Sparkling/Finishing
Chill and clarify
Once bottles have reached desired carbonation, transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 12 hours (cold helps clarify the beverage and slows yeast activity).
Serve
To serve, fill glasses with ice (about 3 cups total for 4 servings), pour chilled Gingerella over ice, leaving about 1/2 inch at the top for aroma. Garnish each glass with a lime wheel and optional mint sprig. If any sediment is present in the bottle, pour slowly and leave the last small amount in the bottle.
Storage and notes
Keep sealed bottles refrigerated and consume within 2–3 weeks for best flavor. If using sturdier soda bottles, you can allow a bit more fermentation time but still check pressure carefully. For a non-alcoholic version, omit yeast and instead force-carbonate in a keg or soda siphon following manufacturer instructions.