Gemberbier

Ingredients

Ginger

• 300 gfresh ginger, grated
• 2 litreswater

To flavour

• 400 gsugar
• juice of 3 limes
• or juice of 2 lemons
• 4cloves
• 1cinnamon stick
• the peel of 1 lime

To ferment

• 5 gdried yeast
• or a piece of bread crust
• 1 litrecold water

Equipment

• clean plastic bottles with caps
• a fine sieve or muslin
• a large clean jug

Directions

1. Use strong plastic bottles instead. Never leave it sealed and forgotten. Grate it on the coarse side of a grater. Put the two litres of water in a pot. Add all the grated ginger to it.
2. Add the cloves, cinnamon and lime peel. Bring the whole pot up to a boil. Let it simmer for about fifteen minutes. Take the pot right off the heat.
3. Cover it over and let it stand. Give it at least one full hour. Pour it all through a fine sieve. Press the ginger against the mesh. Line the sieve with muslin for a clearer drink. Discard the spent ginger and spices.
4. Stir the sugar into the warm liquid. Stir until it dissolves completely. Squeeze in all of the lime juice. Add the litre of cold water to it. Taste it and adjust the sweetness. It should be sweet and clearly hot with ginger. Let it cool right down to lukewarm. It must be below body temperature.
5. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface. Stir it through the liquid gently. Bottling it takes some real care. Pour it into clean plastic bottles. Use a funnel to avoid any spills.
6. Fill each bottle only three quarters full. Leave a clear gap at the very top. Fermenting it takes a day or two. Leave the bottles somewhere warm. Give them about twenty-four hours. Check them by squeezing every few hours. Judging the fizz is done by feel.
7. Pour it over ice into glasses. Pour carefully and leave that behind. It keeps two weeks refrigerated. Check the bottles every few days. It keeps fermenting slowly even cold.

Technique

• Fermentation produces carbon dioxide that builds real pressure in a sealed bottle, so use strong plastic rather than glass, since plastic goes rock hard before it fails and that hardness is the warning to release the gas.
• It is called a beer but is meant as a soft drink; fermentation still produces a little alcohol, and a long warm ferment produces noticeably more, which is worth knowing if children drink it.
• The yeast must go in only when the liquid has cooled to barely warm, since hot liquid kills it outright.

Substitutions

• A crust of bread carries wild yeast and stands in for dried yeast.
• Lemon juice works in place of lime.

Variations

• Some households steep the ginger overnight for a sharper drink.
• A version left unfermented and simply chilled is also made.
• Ginger beer of much the same kind is brewed across the Caribbean.

History

Brewed in Surinamese households for the December holidays with fresh ginger and sugar, then bottled to fizz.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gemberbier?

Gemberbier is a drink from Suriname: home-brewed fermented ginger drink, drunk cold at Christmas. Brewed in Surinamese households for the December holidays with fresh ginger and sugar, then bottled to fizz.

How long does Gemberbier take to make?

Gemberbier takes 30 minutes plus fermenting of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes about 3 litres. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Gemberbier?

Yes, within limits. A crust of bread carries wild yeast and stands in for dried yeast. Lemon juice works in place of lime.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gemberbier?

Use strong plastic bottles instead. Never leave it sealed and forgotten. Grate it on the coarse side of a grater. Put the two litres of water in a pot. Add all the grated ginger to it.