GINGER BEER. A fermented, non-excisable beverage brewed from a mixture of ginger, other spices and bitter vege table substances. Sometimes, however, the name ginger beer is applied to artificially carbonated liquor which is flavoured with compounded ginger beer flavour or extract. The principal differ ences between ginger ale and ginger beer lie in the rather higher gravity and greater proportion of extractive matter of ginger beer and also in the fact that it is more usual to employ hitters of the nature of hops or gentian in preparing ginger beer than in ginger ale. Capsicum extract, or the oleoresin capsicine, is frequently employed in the compounding of ginger beverages of this type to increase the sharpness of the beverage without greatly in creasing the cloudiness of the finished product. Also, a foam-pro ducing extract is frequently added to the syrup when the liquor is prepared by artificial carbonation.
The production of ginger beer by fermentation is carried out by first making an aqueous infusion of a mixture of vegetable prod ucts among which ginger predominates. The following is a suit able mixture: Bruised Jamaica ginger 6 parts, liquorice extract 2 parts, hops 3 parts, cloves 3 parts, gentian a part. Five parts of such a mixture are boiled in 200 parts of water for about 20 to 3o min.; the extract is strained and sweetened with 6 to 7 parts of sugar. Caramel colour is added as desired, the extract cooled to about 7o° and, after adding i fl. oz. of brewer's yeast, allowed to ferment for 24 hours. Citric acid is then added to the liquor according to the taste of the manufacturer and the beverage bottled after standing for a few days to permit the mucilaginous matter to settle out. In some instances the beverage is given a fuller tone of flavour by the addition of malt essence. Ginger beverages are exceedingly popular in countries possessing temper ate climates, a tremendous increase in consumption having followed the introduction of prohibition in the United States, while in Great Britain the sale of ginger drinks is one of the principal sections of the trade in non-excisable beverages (see AERATED WATERS) .