Xmas Recipe Special: Ginger Beer

Ginger Beer

This Ginger Beer recipe it’s bubbly, refreshing and easy to prepare, so grab a glass and join the toast.

Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

140g fresh ginger

4-6 tablespoons light brown sugar

5 lemons

1 litre/1 3/4 pints soda water or sparkling mineral water

sprigs of fresh mint

slices of lemon

First of all, you need to grate your ginger on a coarse cheese grater – you can leave the skin on if you like. Put the ginger with its pulpy juice into a bowl and sprinkle with your sugar. Remove the rind from 2 of your lemons with a vegetable peeler or sharp knife. Chop in quarters and add to the bowl, and slightly bash and squash with something heavy like a rolling pin or pestle. Just do this for 10 seconds, to mix up all the flavours. Squeeze the juice from all 3 lemons and add it to the bowl.

Pour in your fizzy water or soda water. Allow sitting for 15 – 30 minutes. I actually put it in the freezer to sit, so it stays nice and cold. I let mine sit for 30 minutes. Taste. You may feel that the lemons are slightly too sour, therefore add more sugar; if it is slightly too sweet, add more lemon juice. These amounts are always a little variable, so just follow your own taste buds. Pass the ginger beer through a coarse sieve into a large jug and add lots of ice and lots of fresh mint.

Have an appetite for more delicious recipes? Try these incredible, vegan and healthy, cardamom truffles.