Ginger Beer

When we were in Montserrat in February, I discovered something heavenly...Ginger Beer.  Non-alcoholic, refreshing and just about the yummiest drink I've ever had.  Ginger is a favorite of mine, in foods, drinks, etc.  I finally recreated it successfully and thought I would share this perfect summertime recipe:

1 lb Fresh Ginger
10 cups Hot Water (I mix 5 c boiling water with 5 c hot tap water)
1 to 1 1/2 cups sugar (to taste)
1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice (about 3 limes)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract (to taste)

• Cut ginger into smaller pieces - you do not have to peel the ginger, just wash/scrub it well with a brush.
• Use food processor to mince ginger - I do this with 8-10 pieces at a time and I put in some water with each batch to make the mincing easier (keep track of how much water you use to food process and subtract that from the 10 cups in the recipe)
• Put the minced ginger and the remaining water in the large bowl, stir, cover and put in refrigerator to let steep overnight
• Using a fine strainer or one with cheesecloth, strain steeped ginger beer into another bowl, pressing the remaining ginger in the strainer with a wooden spoon to get all the yummy juice out
• Add lime juice, sugar, vanilla and almond to mixture and stir well

I store my ginger beer in a large glass container in the fridge.

Ginger beer can also be mixed with soda water for some fizz, or if it's too strong, add some water.  Tom likes to add a bit of rum to the ginger beer for a refreshing cocktail - it's pretty tasty as well!

It settles very quickly, so give it a good shake or stir before partaking, serve over ice and enjoy!!