Authentic Homemade Ginger Beer/Ale

[Fairfield]

I think the Vikings made their mead (beer) with honey?

Mead, which is aka "honey wine" is still made that way. It is a fortified wine and is not unlike sherry. I have a bottle of Danish mead--which is called Viking Blød (that is, Viking Blood) in my pantry.

Today meads have various bases. We have a local firm that makes blueberry mead.

 

[Fairfield]

Mead can be still like wine, or bubbly like beer. It can be plain or spiced, but then it´s called metheglin. Make sure you say it right so your neighbors don´t think you´ve gone all Walter White.

Mead today is a fortified wine. Bubbly mead sounds like carbonated coffee--that is, it probably exists but it is missing something

 

[7thWisconsin]

Mead today is a fortified wine. Bubbly mead sounds like carbonated coffee--that is, it probably exists but it is missing something

I´ve read recipes where you add a neutral spirit like vodka to the mead to stop the fermentation process and boost the alcohol content. I never made it that way, though. I think mine would have failed the basic definition of fortified wine. I came by a barbaric ABV by fermentation alone.

 

[Fairfield]

I´ve read recipes where you add a neutral spirit like vodka to the mead to stop the fermentation process and boost the alcohol content. I never made it that way, though. I think mine would have failed the basic definition of fortified wine. I came by a barbaric ABV by fermentation alone.

You may have passed that test. I'm not that well versed in the subject which I find confusing but I believe that a natural spirit is merely a distilled spirit that contains no sweetener. I think that addition of a distilled spirit is basic to making a fortified wine. To be frank, all this is probably over my head; I was shuddering about the thought of carbonated coffee.

 

[G Low]

Love ginger beer! But it's so hard to find--brewing your own may be the answer!

Easy to find here in Ga. Kroger, Walmart and all liquor stores have it in multiple brands, cans and bottles even diet ginger beer. Love our Moscow mules. Wish I had some of @Albert Sailhorst 's ginger beer and some St. Augustine distillery's Vodka.

 

[7thWisconsin]

You may have passed that test. I'm not that well versed in the subject which I find confusing but I believe that a natural spirit is merely a distilled spirit that contains no sweetener. I think that addition of a distilled spirit is basic to making a fortified wine. To be frank, all this is probably over my head; I was shuddering about the thought of carbonated coffee.

Basically that´s correct - a distilled spirit that doesn´t have any flavor is a neutral spirit. Of course, if you want the flavor to be part of it, gin (flavored with juniper berries) or aquavit (caraway seed) would be options. I like the honey taste of plain mead, but I´ve made methiglin a couple times too. It can have a lot of sediment from the spices.

 

[KianGaf]

I do enjoy the occasional alcoholic ginger beer. It's very refreshing on a hot day , not that we get many of them around here . The Scottish brand Crabbies is a really good version.