Kiwi Food of the Week

Ginger Beer

Like many Kiwi traditions, ginger beer has a British origin. But it's certainly a part of Kiwi culture now. Absolutely everywhere you go, you can get a can, or, bottle, or keg depending on the ragingness of your alcoholism. Oh, I jest. There are alcoholic versions of ginger beer, but the soft drink form is much more common. And delicious, at least, in my highly sophisticated opinion. It's like ginger ale, just kicked up a knotch: ginger-y enough to make your eyes water. Burns so good.

Perhaps it seems a little more popular to me than it actually it though, since it's one of only four soft drinks that are readily available. Variety definitely isn't something Kiwis demand. If you want soda, you can have Coke, Sprite, L&P (Kiwi fizzy lemonade) or ginger beer. That's about it, unless you're at a big supermarket. There's also Vault (or "V") a toxic-colored energy drink. Almost every gas station and dairy has a sign out front advertising a meat pie and vault combo- the Kiwi equivalent of a burger and coke. But if you want say, a diet cherry coke, you're going to have to employ some of that famous number-eight-wire mentality and knock it up yourself.

In that spirit, I've decided to enhance the Kiwi-ness of my ginger beer experience and make my own. I hope it doesn't explode!

Is my absence is boring a hole in your heart so deep no amount of booze will fill it? A frosty mug of ginger beer won't fill the Rachel-shaped hole in your life, but you can take comfort in knowing I've

Lemon-based Ginger Beer Recipe is for 1.5 L plastic bottle
•2 tblspns warm water
•1/2 tspn sugar
•1/4 tspn dried yeast granules
•1 cup sugar
•juice of 2 lemons
•rind of 2 lemons
•1 tspn to 1 tblspn dried ginger
Put first measure of sugar in warm water to dissolve, add yeast and stir. Place in warm place to start working.
Finely grate or slice rind from 2 lemons and place in a heatproof container with the 1 cup of sugar and the dried ginger. Pour over 1 cup of boiling water and leave to steep for 10 minutes. Strain into 1.5 L plastic bottle in which the ginger beer will be made. Top up bottle with cool water to near top so that final temp is approx. body temp. Add yeast to bottle as soon as it shows signs of working, ie. it foams. Cap bottle tightly. Mix thoroughly and put in a warm place. Leave until bottle becomes undentable. Depending on the yeast this can take anything from 12 hours to 3 days, but best to check regularly, as I guess there is a risk of explosion with this! Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and OPEN WITH GREAT CARE!