In the early days of American beverage making, brewers did not make a distinction between nonalcoholic and alcoholic potables. Anything was adequate to wash down dinner, and a batch of sassafras tea or sweet apple cider left out where wild yeasts were apt to get into them might be fresh one night, mildly bubbly the next, and alcoholic by the end of the week. When it came to homemade beverages, alcohol content was a matter of degree, and only teetotalers made much of a distinction between soft and hard drinks. Well into the late nineteenth century, the most common beverages in the American colonies were whiskey and beer, and the fermentation techniques used to make these alcoholic beverages became the basis for making soft drinks as well.
Fermentation begins with heating water with some sort of flavorful vegetation, like roots, herbs, flowers, barks, seeds, or fruits, to create a flavor base. Fruits and their seeds (particularly starchy grains) are naturally sweet enough to support fermentation without additional sugar. Fermentation of other types of vegetation requires sugar to be added. Before the availability of cheap refined cane sugar in the mid-1700s, that sugar came from fruit, honey, and sometimes molasses.
After about an hour of simmering, the vegetation releases its flavors and sugars into the liquid, which is then cooled to a little warmer than room temperature and mixed with yeast. Yeasts are tiny organisms that feed off sugar, just like the rest of us, and given the right conditions they will grow and multiply. In the course of their life they respire (mostly carbon dioxide) and excrete (mostly alcohol).
Making beverages, both carbonated and alcoholic, involves playing with the conditions under which yeasts thrive and using the by-products of their life cycle, carbon dioxide and alcohol, to produce different styles of beverage. If our goal is an alcoholic beer, the yeast is encouraged to consume as much sugar as it can in pursuit of a certain concentration of alcohol. Because we don’t care as much about carbonation, the container in which the beer ferments is burped occasionally to keep the pressure from building up.
Yeasts cannot live in liquid with an alcohol content of more than 20 percent. For alcoholic beers the fermentation is usually stopped below 12 percent, which leaves some sugar in the brew. This residual sugar is enough to allow the yeast to continue to produce CO2 after bottling, creating a slightly effervescent beverage.
Nonalcoholic beer is made in basically the same way, except the beer is bottled as soon as the yeast is added. Fermentation takes place right in the bottle, so all of the carbon dioxide produced by the yeast gets trapped in the beer. Because there is a limited amount of pressure that can build up in the bottle before it is in danger of bursting, fermentation has to be stopped after a day or two (by chilling the bottles), resulting in a beer that is barely alcoholic and still quite sweet. Early American root cellars were filled with bottles of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beers, along with the roots and orchard fruits from which they were brewed.
Roots are the place where plants store starch (for long-term energy), sugars (for immediate energy), and large aggregate molecules (mostly pigments and aromatic phenols) that protect the plant and fight disease. These components tend to make roots flavorful, colorful, and sweet, all qualities that make delicious and beautiful beverages. The most common roots for making root beers are the most pungent ones: burdock, ginger, licorice, sarsaparilla, and sassafras.
Fruits, which are more delicate than roots, are also full of sugar, but because they do not store as well as roots, they have in the past been less available for making beverages on a regular basis. Common fruits for fermentation include berries, apples, pears, and citrus.
Leaves and flowers (including herbs) and seeds and bark (including spices) have neither enough substance nor enough sugar to be the main ingredients in a fermented beverage, but they can be added for flavor. Cola is the most popular fermented soda that is principally flavored with herbs and spices.
Root beer is a complex brew, radiating the wintergreen aroma of birch, the tang of sassafras, the woodsiness of sarsaparilla, and the palate-pumping pungency of licorice root. Modify those root flavors with floral vanilla beans and the fruity esters plentiful in raisins and you have one of the most sophisticated flavor combinations ever devised. In this chapter you’ll find more than half a dozen recipes for root beers; this one is beautifully balanced and rich-tasting. It gets its creamy mouthfeel from the addition of maltodextrin (available from most brewing supply houses and natural food stores).
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED ROOT BEER
Combine the water, raisins, sassafras, wintergreen, star anise, and vanilla in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Blend the brown sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering root infusion, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat, let cool for 30 minutes, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyThese cocktails can be made with any kind of root beer.
Combine equal parts chilled root beer and dark beer.
Add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum to 12 ounces (11⁄2 cups) root beer. Serve over ice.
Add 2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) dark rum to 12 ounces (11⁄2 cups) root beer and serve over ice in a highball glass.
Add 2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) coconut rum to 10 ounces (11⁄4 cups) root beer and serve over ice in a highball glass, topped with a squeeze of lime juice.
Charles Hires, a Philadelphia pharmacist, is known as the inventor of root beer, even though root beer is one of those foods whose exact origin is impossible to pinpoint. By the time Hires was born in 1851, many dozens of well-known recipes for teas and fermented soft drinks made from various barks, roots, leaves, and seeds were known as “root teas” or “root beers.” Every colonial housewife had at least one. Hires’s claim to fame is that he took a traditional root tea formula and manufactured it as a powdered concentrate that could be sold to pharmacies to be batched into a beverage by adding water and sugar and fermenting it with yeast, thereby streamlining and standardizing the process of brewing medicinal root elixirs. To his credit Hires also suggested serving root beer chilled, changing what was commonly thought of as a medicine into a refreshment.
Hires sold his root beer locally and then introduced it internationally at the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia in 1876, the first official World’s Fair in the United States, which attracted about 10 million visitors, more than 20 percent of the population of the United States. In 1890 he established the Charles E. Hires Company, which sold root beer powder along with a formula for mixing and fermenting it; the company started selling a premixed bottled version in 1893.
Hires had his beverage analyzed to prove that it “contained less alcohol than a loaf of bread” and promoted it as a temperance drink to “purify the blood and make rosy cheeks.” Hires’s Root Beer kits were sold until 1980 for the homebrewing of root beer, although from the time that bottled root beer was introduced it far outsold the homemade product.
When brewed and sweetened, the roots of sarsaparilla (Smilax spp.), a native American plant, have a flavor not unlike that of sassafras, the dominant flavor in traditional root beers. Because sarsaparilla is similar to but more subtle than sassafras, the two are often brewed together, but I find that sarsaparilla is easily overshadowed by sassafras, so I use very little of the latter. The flavor of this root beer is amended with wintergreen, which gives it a birch-beer quality.
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED SARSAPARILLA
Combine the water, sarsaparilla, sassafras, and wintergreen in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Blend the brown sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering root infusion, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
Seven is a powerful number, and in this sweet and savory root beer, seven is the factor that pushes the flavor ante beyond the ordinary. Some of these roots (sarsaparilla, sassafras, burdock, and licorice) have to be purchased dried, while others, such as ginger, carrot, and parsnip, are readily available fresh.
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED ROOT BEER
Combine the water, ginger, sarsaparilla, sassafras, burdock, licorice, carrot, and parsnip in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Blend the brown sugar and gum arabic. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the simmered root infusion, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the root beer syrup as described above, then carbonate as desired.
Add 2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) rye or Canadian whiskey to 10 ounces (11⁄4 cups) root beer, and serve over ice in a tall glass.
Birch beer is a classic European herbal beer from the seventeenth century. Birch bark adds to the fermentation a tangy mentholated aeration that is pronounced but ethereal. The brew requires other more substantial flavors to give it body, which is why birch beers are still based on sassafras for their flavor. Because sassafras root is relatively potent and birch flavor is fleeting, I always hold back on the sassafras.
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED BIRCH BEER
Combine water, birch bark, sassafras root, lemon zest and juice, cloves, and vanilla in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Blend the brown sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering root infusion, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the birch syrup as described above, then carbonate as desired.
Add 2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) Jägermeister herbal liqueur to 12 ounces (11⁄2 cups) Birch Beer, and serve over ice in a tall glass.
Spruce’s piney terpene flavor is an acquired taste. Drinking a soda made exclusively from spruce twigs would be not unlike imbibing the essence of forest, but when blended with more traditional root beer flavors (such as sassafras and sarsaparilla) and especially a good hit of ginger, spruce’s pine essence is refreshing and cooling. Spruce beer was an American colonial favorite, since spruce had preserving qualities similar to those of hops.
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED SPRUCE BEER
Combine the water, molasses, sassafras, ginger, and spruce oil in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Blend the brown sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering root infusion, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Then remove from the heat, let cool to room temperature, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Substitute 1⁄2 teaspoon wintergreen essential oil for spruce oil.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
Early soda makers frequently sold their wares at stands, but Roy Allen and Frank Wright, the owners of A&W Root Beer, were the first to build a full-service restaurant chain based on a soft drink. In the early 1920s they opened the first A&W drive-in restaurant, featuring “tray-boys” offering curbside service. By 1933 there were more than 170 franchised A&W outlets, and in 1960 there were 2,000 nationwide.
Why anyone other than a rival soda manufacturer would want the secret formula for a product as readily available and affordable as Coca-Cola is beyond me, but if trying to duplicate Coke sounds like a fun challenge, try this recipe. It is my rendition of a formula that has been floating around on the Internet for years. Reputedly it is the secret formula for Coke, but I don’t think so (it sure doesn’t taste like Coke). My efforts have yielded something that most of my friends find delicious. Some find it a bit fruity, others a little too bitter, but most appreciate the balance.
ENOUGH FOR 5 QUARTS BREWED COLA
Combine the citric acid, lemon oil, orange oil, bergamot oil, cinnamon oil, lime oil, coriander oil, nutmeg oil, and gum arabic in a large heat-proof bowl, and stir to blend. Add the boiling water and mix well with a small whisk. Add the sugar, whisking until it dissolves. Stir in the browning sauce and vanilla and let cool.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Notes and Warnings: You will need a gram scale to measure out the ingredients. One gram of essential oil is equal to about 50 drops.
Not all essential oils are safe for human consumption. Look for essential oils labeled “food-grade” or “edible.” See Resources for two Internet sources.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW5 QUARTS
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
Almost from the start, the popularity of bottle soft drinks has had more to do with image than with what’s in the bottle. Let’s face it, Coke and Pepsi are not all that different. Our allegiance to one brand or another has more to do with conception than perception. This fact has not been lost on soft drink manufacturers. The battle for world dominance between Coke and Pepsi has been going on for more than 70 years.
Extracts aren’t necessary for cola flavor. After all, those extracts originally started as real ingredients, so why not go right to the source? This formula yields a beautiful cola concoction using all fresh and dried ingredients, readily available in most home refrigerators and spice cupboards. The one ingredient you might have to search for is gum arabic. It’s there for mouthfeel rather than flavor, so if you don’t have it, your cola will still be delicious; it will just seem a little thin.
ENOUGH FOR 5 QUARTS BREWED COLA
Combine the water, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, coriander seed, nutmeg, and gum arabic (if using) in a large saucepan. Whisk together until the gum arabic dissolves. Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon, lime, and orange juices, along with the browning sauce and vanilla. Let cool, then strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW5 QUARTS
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the cola syrup then carbonate as desired.
Pour 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Jack Daniels over ice cubes in a tall glass, and fill with cola.
Pour 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) dark rum and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) golden tequila over ice cubes in a tall glass, and fill with cola.
Pour 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) cherry liqueur and 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) light rum over ice in a rocks glass, and fill with cola. Garnish with a cherry.
Rather than flavoring plain cola with cherry syrup, I brewed this cherry cola using dried sour cherries in place of some of the citrus that is the usual cola flavoring. The cherry flavor is both more subtle and more pervasive. Instead of being cola with a cherry afterglow, it is a cherry-spiced soda.
ENOUGH FOR 5 QUARTS BREWED COLA
Combine the water, cherries, orange zest, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, coriander seed, nutmeg, and gum arabic (if using) in a large saucepan. Whisk together until the gum arabic dissolves. Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice, browning sauce, vanilla, and almond extract. Let cool, then strain.
This syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Follow the recipe for Sour Cherry Cola, substituting eight dried Medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped, for the dried sour cherries and the zest and juice of one large lemon for one of the oranges.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW5 QUARTS
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
In 1863, French Chemist Angelo Mariani created a popular elixir by infusing coca leaves in Bordeaux wine. The resulting tonic, Vin Mariani, contained about 6 mg of cocaine per fluid ounce and was popular with many contemporary celebs, including Queen Victoria and Pope Pius X. John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, though neither queen nor pope, was also enamored, and he decided he could do better. He developed Pemberton’s French Wine Coca, brewed from coca leaf, kola nut, and damiana. He was sent scrambling in 1885 when Atlanta enacted temperance laws that made the alcohol in his tonic (but not the coca) illegal. He reformulated, taking out the alcohol, resulting in an early version of Coca-Cola, which was originally sold as a soda fountain medicinal elixir, mixed with carbonated water.
The combination of fresh and dried ginger gives this ginger ale an extra layer of flavor, a potent floral aroma, and minimal heat. Because the flavor develops during fermentation, this soda must be made with yeast.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make one gallon of Ginger Ginger Ale.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water, fresh ginger, and dried ginger in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Then add the sugar and vinegar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and let cool until the mixture reaches warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. Strain out the ginger. Add the yeast, stirring until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 3 to 5 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the Ginger Ginger Ale as described above.
Pour 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) vodka and 4 ounces (1⁄2 cup) orange juice over ice in a tall glass, and top up with Ginger Ginger Ale.
The schizoid effect of ginger on the palate — at once hot and cooling — is reinforced in this recipe with an added kick of aromatic Szechuan peppercorns. This pepper, named after its native Szechuan province of China, is the dried berry of prickly ash (Zanthoxylum spp.) and is not related to the vine peppercorn (Piper nigrum) commonly served at tables. It has a fruity, floral fragrance that is a wonderful complement to the pungency of ginger.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make one gallon of Szechuan Ginger Beer.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water, ginger, and peppercorns in a large pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for 5 minutes, then add the sugar and vinegar, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let cool until the mixture reaches warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. Strain out the ginger and peppercorns. Add the yeast, stirring until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 3 to 5 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
Molasses, a by-product of sugar refinement, contains all of the minerals, vitamins, and simple and complex carbohydrates filtered from raw cane sugar when it is purified, making it much less sweet and far more savory than sugar. These savory elements lend this rich mahogany-hued soda the meatiness of a dark beer, like stout or porter.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make one gallon of Molasses Beer.
TO BREWABOUT 1 GALLON
Combine the water, molasses, and cinnamon in a large saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Blend the sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and add the mixture to the simmering molasses mixture, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Remove from the heat and let cool to warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. Strain out the solids, and add the vanilla and yeast, stirring until the yeast is dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the Molasses Beer as described above.
Combine 4 ounces (1⁄2 cup) Molasses Beer and 2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) dark rum. Pour over ice and serve.
Like nonalcoholic mead, this soda has a pronounced honey flavor with barely a hint of the cloying sweetness of fresh honey. It has a beautiful golden hue, but because the yeast remains in the bottle, it is not crystal clear. You can alter the flavor and color of the soda by varying the honey you use. I usually use a neutral-tasting honey, like orange blossom or clover.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make one gallon of Fermented Honey Soda.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and honey in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the Fermented Honey Soda as described above.
Add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) brandy to 8 ounces (1 cup) Fermented Honey Soda. Serve over ice.
Add 2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) gin to 8 ounces (1 cup) Fermented Honey Soda. Serve over crushed ice, garnished with a lemon wedge.
Similar in character to Molasses Beer, this recipe takes on a more roasted caramelized character with the addition of cocoa (dark roasted cocoa beans), dark roasted coffee, and unsulfured (dark) molasses. It’s comparable to a porter beer.
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED SODA
Combine the water, cocoa, coffee, molasses, caraway seed, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large saucepan, and stir to blend. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Blend the sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering syrup, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, let cool, and strain through a damp coffee filter or very fine mesh strainer.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the coffee syrup as described at left, then carbonate as desired.
Combine equal parts chilled Coffee Chocolate Stout and champagne in a chilled pilsner glass.
Ginseng root contains ginsenosides, a class of steroids that includes several substances, like digitalis, used in the treatment of heart disease. Although traditional applications for ginseng root include treatments for stress, male impotence, and type II diabetes, clinical studies on humans have not supported any therapeutic effects (although animal studies have shown ginseng to promote increased libido and sexual activity). I make no libido promises in regard to this root beer. I can say that it is highly refreshing, clean tasting, cooling, and fragrant. Does that turn you on?
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED ROOT BEER
Combine the water, ginseng, ginger, lime zest and juice, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan, and stir to blend. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Blend the sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering syrup, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then remove from the heat, let cool, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
Star anise, the dried star-shaped fruit of an Asian evergreen, is pungent with the aroma of licorice and hints of clove and cinnamon. Together, star anise and licorice root create a flavor so full-bodied and powerful that just a few ounces will flavor a whole barrel of root beer. In this aromatic soda I have amended the licorice-anise partnership with vanilla bean for its floral top notes, clove for depth, and brown sugar for mellowness.
ENOUGH FOR 1 GALLON BREWED ROOT BEER
Combine the water, licorice, star anise, cloves, and vanilla bean in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally; let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Blend the brown sugar and maltodextrin (if using), and gradually add the mixture to the simmering syrup, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then remove from the heat, let cool, and strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
TO MIX WITH SELTZER1 SERVING
Pour the syrup into a tall glass. Add the seltzer and stir just until blended. Add ice and serve.
TO CARBONATE WITH A SIPHON3 SERVINGS
Combine the water and syrup in a 1-quart soda siphon. Charge with CO2 according to the manufacturer’s directions. Siphon-charged sodas can be stored in the siphon in a refrigerator for up to 5 days. Disperse as desired into tall glasses filled with ice, and serve.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the anise licorice syrup as described at left, then carbonate as desired.
Add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Pernod, Sambuca, or other anise-flavored liqueur to 8 ounces (1 cup) Anise Licorice Root Beer and serve over ice.
At one time almost all apple cider was alcoholic, but since the days of Prohibition, apple cider has been pasteurized to keep it from fermenting, making it pungently sweet. In this mildly fermented cider the yeast is allowed to feed off the sugars for 3 to 4 days, yielding a just slightly sweet cider in which the tartness and fragrance of the apple shine through. It is highly refreshing, and surprisingly thirst-quenching for a fruit drink.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make one gallon of Hardly Hard Cider.
TO BREW1 GALLON
Combine the cider, sugar, and cinnamon in a large pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Then remove from the heat and let cool to warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. Remove the cinnamon and add the yeast, stirring until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles (see here) using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 11⁄4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 3 to 5 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
MixologyPrepare the Hardly Hard Cider as described above.
Add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) brandy to 8 ounces (1 cup) Hardly Hard Cider.
Kombucha is a fermented tea. It has a tart, refreshing flavor and a naturally light carbonation. The carbonation can vary from batch to batch, but generally the longer you let the beverage ferment, the fizzier it becomes. Before you start brewing the kombucha recipes (Orange Kombucha, Green Tea Kombucha, and Chamomile Lavender Kombucha) you’ll need to know some background information.
Kombucha starter culture, also known as kombucha “mother,” contains a combination of acetic acid bacteria (mother of vinegar) and one or more yeasts. The culture, which looks and feels like a leftover congealed pancake, goes by various names, including “mushroom” and “SCOBY” (an acronym for “symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast”).
You can purchase a kombucha starter culture from suppliers on the Internet or get one from a kombucha-making acquaintance. Every time you brew a batch of kombucha, the mother culture gives birth to a “baby.” You can reuse the mother, or if the baby is big enough it can become a mother culture itself. Baby cultures can vary in size. If they are thicker than 1⁄4 inch they can be used on their own, but if they are thin they should be paired with a thicker mother. Once a baby is used to make a new batch of kombucha, it graduates to mother status.
In addition to a starter culture, you will need a starter tea to brew kombucha. For your first batch, this can be store-bought kombucha tea, or starter tea obtained from a kombucha-brewing friend. In a pinch, you can substitute vinegar. Then, every time you make kombucha, reserve a small amount (about 1⁄2 cup) of finished fermented tea mixed with an equal part of distilled white vinegar. This liquid is called “starter tea.” Pour it over the kombucha starter culture (mother) and store in the refrigerator.
It is best to wash any piece of equipment that the fermenting tea will contact with vinegar rather than tap water. The starter culture for kombucha thrives in an acidic environment and alkaline substances in hard tap water can dilute the acidity.
Metals are highly interactive with acids so it is best to use glass storage containers for kombucha. If you use a glass jar with a metal lid, cover the mouth of jar with a layer of plastic wrap before putting on the lid, to keep the contents from coming into contact with metal.
You can use stainless steel pans to heat the tea before fermentation, since stainless steel is a fairly inert metal that will not react with the kombucha.
There seems to be an unending supply of anecdotal evidence about the health benefits of kombucha and nothing scientific to support them. Kombucha fans claim that it boosts energy, sharpens mental capabilities, and strengthens the immune system. In the name of transparency I admit that I am one of those fans. Please do try a batch and see how you like it.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make three servings of Orange Kombucha.
Note: Before you make you first batch of kombucha, see Kombucha Tips to familiarize yourself with some important background concepts.
TO BREW3 SERVINGS
Rinse a large (at least 11⁄2-quart) glass jar with distilled vinegar. Pour the sweet tea into the glass jar and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
Green tea kombucha is lighter in color and flavor than its black tea brethren, which is why I spike it with a little honey and mint. As a general rule, if you want to add any flavoring other than tea to kombucha, you should do so only after the fermentation is complete. Kombucha culture is notoriously fickle and can refuse to grow when its environment isn’t acidic enough, or when it is infused with competing botanicals. I tend to shy away from adding anything other than tea and sugar until after I have removed the culture.
This recipe does not begin with a flavor base. Follow the complete brewing instructions to make three servings of Green Tea Kombucha.
Note: Before you make you first batch of kombucha, see Kombucha Tips to familiarize yourself with some important background concepts.
TO BREW3 SERVINGS
Rinse a large (at least 11⁄2-quart) glass jar with distilled vinegar. Pour the sweet tea into the glass jar and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
