Name: Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 2887 min
Ingredients: 8 cups filtered water; 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger root (minced); ½ cup organic sugar or rapadura sugar. If using plain sugar; ½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt; ½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice; ½ cup homemade ginger bug or ¼ cup whey for a faster recipe though the flavor won't be quite as good. Here is a tutorial for how to make whey

It turns out that soda hasn’t always been the high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor concoction in an aluminum can that we know today.

For hundreds of years (and probably much longer) cultures around the world have made various forms of naturally fermented “sodas” from sweetened herbal teas or fruit juice mixes. These natural fermented drinks contained beneficial enzymes and probiotics to boost health and were a far cry from the unhealthy versions we have today.

This version uses a fermented ginger culture to create a naturally fizzy soda! Ginger is a delicious herb that has been used in many cultures for its health-boosting properties. From my herb profile of ginger:

Ginger has been used in Chinese Medicine for thousands of years and is said to help:

Soothe digestive disturbances

Alleviate nausea (great in early pregnancy)

Reduce fever

Calm coughing and respiratory troubles

Stimulate the circulatory system

Help relieve muscle aches and pain

Can help get rid of dandruff

Emerging evidence shows it helps lower cholesterol

Japanese research has found ginger is effective in lowering blood pressure and cancer risk

This natural recipe for ginger ale uses fresh ginger and a cultured ginger mixture (called a ginger bug) to create a naturally fermented and naturally fizzy ginger ale. Though this mixture can contain a small amount of alcohol if left to ferment at room temperature for weeks, we use the short brew method to create a fizzy soda without the alcohol.

Delicious Ginger Ale

Homemade ginger ale is soothing for digestive disturbances and contains probiotics and enzymes. As with any fermented product, I’d suggest starting with a small amount (4 ounce or so) and working up, as all the probiotics and enzymes can cause an upset stomach in those who aren’t used to consuming fermented products. I found small amounts of this mixture helpful in early pregnancy and any time one of us has an upset stomach, to ward off nausea. It also just tastes great!

This recipe makes 2 quarts of natural ginger ale, though the recipe can be adjusted up or down by using a ratio of ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup ginger bug starter per 1 quart of water.

How to make natural ginger ale- a healthy and delicious treat full of probiotics and enzymes

Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe

A naturally fermented old-fashioned ginger ale (also once called ginger beer) that contains beneficial probiotics and enzymes.

Cook Time 7

Total Time 2 7

Calories 53kcal

Author Katie Wells

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Servings

quarts

Ingredients

8 cups filtered water
1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger root minced
½ cup organic sugar or rapadura sugar. If using plain sugar add 1 TBSP molasses for flavor and minerals
½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
½ cup fresh lemon or lime juice
½ cup homemade ginger bug or ¼ cup whey for a faster recipe though the flavor won’t be quite as good. Here is a tutorial for how to make whey

Instructions

Make a “wort” for your ginger ale by placing 3 cups of the water, minced ginger root, sugar, molasses if needed, and salt in a saucepan and bringing to a boil.
Simmer the mixture for about five minutes until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to smell like ginger.
Remove from heat and add additional water. This should cool it but if not, allow it to cool to room temperature before moving to the next step.
Add fresh lemon or lime juice and ginger bug or whey.
Transfer to a 2 quart glass mason jar with an air-tight lid. Stir well and put lid on.
Leave on the counter for 2-3 days until carbonated. Watch this step carefully. Using whey will cause it to ferment more quickly. It should be bubble and should “hiss” like a soda when the lid is removed. This is very temperature dependent and the mixture may need to be burped or stirred during this fermentation time on the counter.
Transfer to refrigerator where it will last indefinitely.
Strain before drinking.
Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cup)

Calories 53

% Daily Value*

Sodium 159mg7%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugar 13.7g15%

Protein 0.2g0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

As with any traditional fermented drink, this is more of an art than a science. The outcome depends greatly on the strength of your culture, the temperature of your house, and the sugar used. The final mixture should smell of ginger and slightly of yeast/fermentation and should be fizzy. Watch carefully that it doesn’t become too carbonated as this will cause too much pressure and may result in an exploding jar!

The mixture can be strained and transferred to Grolsch style bottles before putting in the refrigerator.

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Have you ever made a naturally fermented drink like ginger ale, kombucha, or water kefir? What is your favorite? Share below!

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

441 responses to “Natural Ginger Ale”

Sharon

November 27, 2015

Can this be done with stevia, half stevia, or fruit juice instead of all refined sugar?

Reply
Bernie

November 20, 2015

Hi,
Is there any risk that this method may produce ALCOHOL

I made the bug last Sunday, feed it during the week and I just put down the first batch of ale to ferment for the 2 – 3 days

I plan on serving this to children and a very devout none drinker

Thanks

Reply
Leandro Pereira

November 15, 2015

Due to the fact that sometimes i misunderstand the measures you use in your country, i did a very strong ginger alr using this recipe. And I loved it. I have just done it the way you did.Thank you so much! This is not a tradition in Brazil, but now it is a tradition in my house. Thank you again.

Reply
Lynn

November 12, 2015

Hey Wellness Mama community!
I have a question (two or three actually) – been googling it for a while now and cannot seem to find the answer. First, how probiotic is this stuff, actually? I’ve been making soda with the ginger bug for about three weeks now and the final product, though seriously fizzy, is always still quite sweet. I don’t start with a lot of sugar – i’ll usually use half fruit juice/half water with a tablespoon or two of sugar to help the fermentation along. I have tried leaving it out a bit longer (to see if the sugar content would go down) but then it gets a bit bitter. I think it develops a bit of an alcohol content when it’s left out – my husband thinks it’s more vinegary. Which is it? If it’s vinegar, i don’t mind drinking it (especially since more sugar is consumed. So, overall, is the probiotic content of this beverage enough to balance out the sugar content? Is this something that can be drunk every day for stomach health, or is it more of a special occasion type thing? What do y’all think?
Sorry if this has been pounded into the ground already…I know that it’s fermented and that it has a probiotic content. The final sodas are delicious, but they are still sweet, which is throwing me. I guess I want assurance that the extra effort is worth it for my family’s health, especially since we are attempting to live a low sugar lifestyle.

Thanks in advance to anyone who decides to answer!

Reply
Olivia

November 4, 2015

I just tried my first batch of ginger ale. After about 36 hours there were lots of bubbles so I burped it and put the lid back on. Within 4 hours one of the two jars busted! Thinking that meant it was ready, I tasted the second jar and there was hardly any fizz. Does it lose the fizz when you burp it? Why would it explode right after I burped it? How could it bust my jar open but still taste flat? Any answers would be appreciated!
Thanks!

Reply
Linda

October 9, 2015

Followed the recipe, except I let mine ferment in the bottles. On the third day, I refrigerated one bottle for a couple hours and then opened it to taste it and see how it turned out. It smelled (and tasted) mildly of a sewer. I read on some beer brewing websites that if bread yeast is used instead of champagne yeast, it can lead to a more nasty, sulfuric smell and taste. Could that be the problem? Maybe the natural yeasts that exist in the air of my kitchen, and therefore in my ginger bug, are just not the best type of yeast? Or did I let it ferment too long? Not long enough? Or maybe I should have covered it with cheesecloth while it fermented instead of capping the bottles? (I read another recipe that says to cover it with cloth for 2-3 days and then cap it for 1 day before refrigerating). Any advice would be appreciated.

Reply
1. Daniel
  
  October 18, 2015
  
  So before I begin this response, let me just say that there are too many variables in play for me to be sure that this will be helpful for eliminating your sulphur smell issues. But it’s worth a shot so here goes….The first time I made the recipe I ended up using about 50g of ginger, which was much too strong but likely not a culprit for sulphur. I used white sugar and the suggested tbs of molassas. I used the suggested amount of everything else. While fermenting, I did a short primary fermentation in semi-sealed but not air tight bottles. I did this largely assuming this would produce a healthier beverage richer in b-vitamin complex as compared to going straight to sealed bottles. After a about 12 hours of noticeable bubbles on top of the semi-sealed jars, I moved on to bottles. Other than being too strong with the ginger it was fine for about a day after cooling and then it increasingly smelled of sulphur……………..The second time around I used the same healthy ginger bug, but dropped the ginger to 25g and went with a natural sugar and left out the molasses. For fermentation I went directly to bottles and it went into the fridge somewhere around 2 days later when there was substantial carbonation in the ginger ale and opening produced something similar to shaken and then opening a soda bottle. This turned out great in terms of flavor and carbonation and never developed a sulphur smell. Not sure if it was the change in sugar (and molassas) or the fermentation change or something else entirely. Next time around I will switch to just white sugar and keep everything else the same. I can post again when I know how that turns out.
  
  Reply
  1. Linda
    
    October 18, 2015
    
    Thanks for the reply, Daniel! Yes, keep us posted on how the next one turns out. I decided to try just using champagne yeast that I bought at a home brewing supply shop instead of ginger bug. I read that the taste is milder (less of a strong yeast/sulphur flavor) and it can give better carbonation than other yeasts. I’m thinking that the yeast I gathered in the ginger bug may not have been the best type. Whether that can be fixed by adjusting the recipe, I don’t know, so I look forward to hearing the results of your experiment, Daniel. I’ll post again after I try it (I plan to make a new batch today). If it turns out well, maybe I’ll just stick to that instead of a ginger bug, as it’s easier to just get a pinch of yeast out of a packet than feeding a ginger bug every day! I’ll probably try making a new ginger bug after that though, to see if I can get that to turn out well. It might taste better in the end than using champagne yeast if I can get it right!
    
    Reply
    1. Daniel
      
      October 25, 2015
      
      Okay, so the batch with breakfast sugar only went well, except for I probably need to bump up the grated ginger back up to 35 or so….which I did last night with the newest batch. Still the same ginger bug going strong for three or four weeks now. With the lighter taste from less ginger I should have been able to pick up on any latent foul smells or tastes, but they never appeared, so that makes me think the problem is either a lengthy (two or more days) of non sealed fermentation or could even be from the molasses I used. The current batch is now underway with the addition of rosella leaves from the garden and some other spices, I’m expecting good things as the sulfur seems to behind me.
      
      I would imagine that the champagne yeast should solve the taste issue even if it doesn’t supply quite the same level of probiotics. Like you said, it should be quite clean but if it doesn’t work you could consider trying to buy some safeale us-05 from online or a local brew store if there’s one around. It’s a dry ale yeast that produces very neutral flavors so it should allow the ginger to shine through. Both the us-05 and champagne yeast are top fermenters rather than bottom fermenters (which I was surprised to observe that the ginger bug seems to be) so neither should be prone to sulfur smells.
      
      At this point, I imagine you’ve probably already drank your new gingerale, so I hope everything turned out well an good luck with the next gingerbug attempt.
      
      Reply
Lauren

October 8, 2015

I’ve been brewing my own Apple Lemon Ginger Ale for about three months now, based off this recipe and directions. It’s become my family’s favorite daily treat and I start craving it if I go more than a day or two without a cup. I’m in Washington state & we had an extremely hot summer, so my fermentation time was only about 36 hours! I noticed that there is a little scummy looking stuff at the top of the liquid when it’s properly carbonated, then I get it into the fridge for a day before drinking it, that seems to “lock in” the carbonation. I cut the syrup amount in half, add the amount back in with apple juice (I’ve had good results with both store bought and freshly juiced apples), I also added an extra two juiced lemons to the mixture right before bottling.

Also: I have used filtered tap water with no effect on the fermentation.

Reply
Kenny

October 5, 2015

This is a ginger ALE recipe. You said it was the first time you made ginger beer and it tastes like beer. that sounds like you achieved the intended result but I don’t think that’s what you meant.

This ginger ale does not taste like the stuff from a soda or pop can. it IS a fermented product and tastes like it. It’s more of an “elixir” beverage than a casual sipping soft drink. The fermentation consumes most of the sugar so it is not a super sweet drink.

The reason for making this is health benefits. I doubt very seriously that you have made a beverage with any significant alcohol.

You could dissolve sugar in the finished product if you want it sweeter.

Reply
Laurie

October 3, 2015

This is the first time I have made ginger beer. I have it bottled and its ready to drink. I took a taste and it taste like beer. I think I let the fermentation go to long. Is there anyway to fix it? I would really hate to throw it all away. Thank you.

Reply
Leslie

October 2, 2015

Is this safe to consume during pregnancy and will it help with legs aches? Thank you! I’m new to the ferment process but would love to give it a try!! I love ginger!

Reply
1. Wellness Mama
  
  October 3, 2015
  
  I’d ask a doc or midwife to be sure, especially if you weren’t using before pregnancy, but a magnesium spray really helped me with leg aches.
  
  Reply
Kenny

September 26, 2015

Respectfully, the instructions do not say to strain the wort, but to strain the final product. This is by no means a perfect recipe because the author has actually misquoted it as well, but if you read the recipe it answers your question.

I mean no disrespect to Katie, but it’s a fact. I think the concept is loose and exacting measurements are not completely critical however.

I’m still struggling to get a solid fizz, but I’m working on it. It loses what fizz it had when you open it within seconds and minutes in my experience. I let the bottles I transfer the final product in to sit out for a couple days at room temp and it helps.

The stuff is good though…at least in my opinion.

Reply
Vincent

September 22, 2015

Do I need to strain the ginger bug before I add it to the wort and fresh lemon juice?

Reply
Mimi

September 15, 2015

Another thing I tried that did seem to work; I added just a tiny bit of nutritional yeast to get the ferment going. It did not affect the taste, but I sure got some good fizz. So to a quart of gingerbug, I added maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of nutritional yeast. I got the yeast at my local health food store.

Reply
Mimi

September 12, 2015

For those of us that just can’t get the gingerbug to fizz, instead of tossing it, I use the flat bug with unflavored sparkling water or if I’m having leg cramps I use Tonic water. Very medicinal with good taste. I also add some to my kombucha or water kefir (which I also can’t get to fizz…lol)

Reply
1. Kenny
  
  September 14, 2015
  
  I just had my first batch of pro-biotic lemonade not fizz. I mean it was my first try. I’m going to try it again in my beer growler to see if it’s the lid not sealing well enough on my brand new gallon jar sold for kombucha and such. It has a tight lid but it’s not an especially heavy duty lid.
  
  Otherwise it’s how I handled the whey which I’ll post about in that recipe thread. The lemonade does taste good, so hopefully there are still some pro-biotic properties even if it did not hold a fizz.
  
  Keep in mind, I never really could see any fizz Per Se in my ginger bug, but it worked following the rest of the recipe for the ginger ale. I have a second run now of Ginger ale; I’ll report back once I sample that to tell if I’m getting consistency with the ginger bug kept in the fridge.
  
  Reply
Ken

September 6, 2015

I want to thank Katie. This site has opened up a lot of stuff to me I will be trying. I just started a pro-bio lemonade and a lactose kicked batch of sauerkraut and I am in my third batch of this ginger ale. I plan to try much more stuff.

So, I really love this ginger ale. I start drinking it and its all I can do to keep from literally chugging it.

I started out using washed plastic juice bottles for the ferment, and while it is a risk of a messy explosion, I agree with another commenter on here that it does give you a good gauge of whats happening as the bottle swells up tight. I just didn’t have the proper hardware as described by Katie. I think feeling the pressure build was a good learning to to know whats happening inside that bottle, but glass is the way to go after that one experiment.

Poor Katie must roll her eyes as people come here, read the recipe and ask, “can I use this or that thing or stuff rather than your recipe?”. It’s pretty funny really. Sure you can do whatever you want, but don’t expect Katie’s results when you jack around with the recipe.

That said the best thing I had on hand to bottle the finished product with are these really well made plastic tea bottles I wash and re-use. I discovered that yes, you lose some fizz when you strain and transfer, but just sit the bottles you transferred to out for a day or two to rejuvenate that fizz. Worked well for me.

My second run, I realized I had a spare beer growler to use, so I fermented in that. there is a reason Katie tells you to use a gallon jar that is not full from the recipe…when I popped the top on the growler the ginger ale was in I had a gusher…like one of those vinegar and baking soda volcanoes! I quickly re-capped, cleaned my mess up and refrigerated the growler. Once cold I could open it just fine.

I have proper bottles and the gallon jar now. It just took me a while to procure everything. You can get a gallon jar actually marketed for Kombucha and such on Amazon. I could not find anything suitable locally, not even at home stores.

So here’s my feedback for the folks who want to try this:
1-Follow the directions. Don’t try to substitute stuff. The recipe is the recipe…make it.
2-Really try to get the jar and bottles like Katie suggests. I got a case of 16oz clamp top clear bottles on Amazon for around $36, that’s around $3 a bottle for bottles that will last a lifetime.
3-Your ginger bug may not seem to fit the description Katie gives exactly. Don’t sweat it, follow the directions exactly. Do not ask if you can deviate from the recipe…it’s a recipe for a reason, it’s been tested. Experiment all you want but don’t blame her if it fails.
4-This carbonation is not like a carbonated beverage, it’s a softer fizz more like good beer. I have a Soda Stream to carbonate water with, and natural fermentation is nothing like injecting Co2 in to water. It’s just not, so don’t expect it to be.

Reply
Mimi

August 7, 2015

Make sure you are using either filtered or spring water and a very well rinsed container. any contamination from chlorine or dish soap will inhibit and even prevent the fermentation process. Also make sure your using fresh Ginger Root. If it’s old, been sprayed to inhibit sprouting or has any kind of pesticide or residue from fertilization can prevent/inhibit fermentation. I soak my ginger root for a couple days, rinsing it a couple times a day before I try to ferment, just to minimize any contaminants. Keep the jar in a warm area 68-80 F. I had a hard time getting mine going until I set it next to my dehydrator while it was on. That provided the heat necessary to start the fermentation process. Hope this helps.

Reply
Kenny

August 7, 2015

Thanks for your attention Katie. I think I, and maybe some others are confusing fizz with bubbles…or something…

But, no, I just stirred it with the handle of a wooden spoon and shined a powerful flashlight on it and I don’t see anything that looks like even tiny bubbles. I’m not sure what yeast looks like except maybe foamy? That’s what I remember about activating yeast for bread.

I have nothing forming at the top of my bug whether stirred or not. Which means no mold either. It is opaque and cloudy and smells great, but I cant discern whether it’s a “yeasty” smell which I would think would be evident. There did appear to be a layer of something at the top very early on, like separating; but it appears flat as it can get now.

It tastes fine, like it would make a great simple syrup. Sweet and hot from the ginger. At the least I could strain it and use it with my Soda-Stream but it is NOT going to waste. I may just use the whey method but try a jar with the bug to see what happens.

I took a picture right after stirring but I don’t see a way to share it here.

Reply
Kayleigh

August 6, 2015

I got all the way to step six but never experience any sort of carbonating effect. I’ve had my ginger ale on the counter for about 6 days now in lidded jars and keep checking for carbonation but nothing. I was very careful to follow all the steps…any thought on what may have gone wrong? Might it still carbonate with more time or is it still safe to drink even if it doesn’t carbonate? Thanks!

Reply
1. Kenny
  
  August 6, 2015
  
  I tasted my “bug” on day 8. No carbonation, it just tastes like a good simple syrup. there doesn’t seem to be a lot of help here from the originators of the blog on this. I’m not complaining because I appreciate this site already but there are a lot of people with exactly this problem.
  
  I have followed the steps exactly. Finally, I’m going to stop feeding the bug. Maybe it needs some time to work on that sugar. I also set it outside in the heat, covered and out of direct sunlight to see if that will kick it. With no solid feedback otherwise to go on except “dump it out and start again”, all we can do is experiment. I am NOT doing the same thing again…that is the definition of insanity. I will search elsewhere and consult brewing folks and the like before that.
  
  Best of luck. It’s no fun to be tempted in to something that looks great and be dangling out there when it doesn’t work.
  
  Reply
  1. Katie – Wellness Mama
    
    August 7, 2015
    
    It won’t taste carbonated until the second ferment of the finished product, as the bubbles are a sign of fermentation but are not really carbonation until it is stored in an air tight container. Are there bubbles when you move the jar or a small of yeast at all?
    
    Reply
Kenny

August 5, 2015

I have read through pretty much all these comment and dont think anyone asked this. Is Turbanado sugar an acceptable sugar to use for the ale? I used white sugar for the bug which is NOT yet fizzy after 8 days but I want to be ready for the game when/if it ever does.

I have read that turbanado sure is minimally processed, not exactly raw and the primary other difference is the granule size. I dont think I have ever seen rapadura sugar around here. The instructions say if using white sugar to add molasses for flavor and minerals, does that mean Rapadura sugar and or molasses is not absolutely necessary but will taste better and have minerals if you do use it?

Reply
1. Katie – Wellness Mama
  
  August 7, 2015
  
  Yes.
  
  Reply
Jonathan Brandau

July 16, 2015

So I’ve been trying off and on to make soda for the past year. It usually has a pretty good taste, but when it comes to the carbonation, it’s not as strong as I would like. I’ve done this recipe, and I’ve tried others, and put a lot more sugar in thinking the yeast would eat it up and make more CO2 and carbonate it better…but no matter what I try, it just doesn’t have the same carbonation level as store bought soda. Is there a way to achieve this level of carbonation with yeast? Or should I look into something like the soda stream and just make my own syrups?

Thanks!

Reply
1. Dax Bedell
  
  July 16, 2015
  
  Akin to my comment above, I’ve had the best carbonation luck by increasing the sugar to 3/4 cups (white sugar), adding a little molasses for flavor, and fermenting in the bottle for 3-4 days. You can cut that a short if you want it even sweeter, but once you’re done with the fermenting phase, just cap the bottles and let them sit for another 1-2 days to build up carbonation (careful not to let them explode). The carbonation won’t be exactly like store-bought soda (the bubbles are smaller and finer, like Perrier) but should be adequate. Also, once you put them in the fridge they will slowly continue to get more carbonated over time.
  
  Reply