dining

Ginger beer is part of Panama's West Indian culture. Is it there by way of Britain, Africa or India? There are almost as many claims about its origin as there are recipes, but the beverage was clearly popular throughout the old British Empire. Following are three different ginger beer recipes. In each case, you want to serve this drink cold.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. fresh ginger root, washed but not peeled and grated
• 3 qt. cold water
• 2 lb. brown sugar

Directions:

• Combine the grated ginger and water in a large glass jar or pitcher and cover loosely (if you make the seal airtight, you're asking for a little explosion and a big mess)
• Let stand at room temperature for two days
• Strain the solids out of the liquid, add the sugar
• Bottle and refrigerate

Ingredients:

• 1 large fresh ginger root, washed but unpeeled, grated and mashed
• 1 fresh lemon rind, grated
• 2 oz. cream of tartar
• 1 envelope yeast
• 1 1/2 lb. white sugar
• 1 gal. boiling water

Directions:

• Combine all the ingredients except the yeast in a large pot
• Stir until cream of tartar and sugar are dissolved
• Allow mixture to cool to room temperature
• Start yeast in a cup with a little warm water
• Add yeast to the mixture, stir well
• Cover the pot, let the mixture steep for six hours
• Strain the mixture first through a collander or strainer, then through cheesecloth
• Bottle and seal
• Store on a pantry shelf for two weeks
• Chill and serve

Ingredients

• 3 quarts water
• 2 quarts white sugar
• 1 lb. fresh ginger root, peeled, diced and mashed
• 4 stalks lemon grass, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• The juice of 4 limes
• 1 vanilla bean
• 1 gallon chilled soda water

Directions:

• Combine the sugar and water in a pot, turn on low heat and stir until sugar dissolves
• Add ginger, lemon grass, lime juice and vanilla bean
• Raise heat to high, stirring the mixture occasionally, until it comes to a rapid boil
• Turn heat to low, simmer for 20 minutes
• Turn off heat, cover pot, let mixture steep overnight
• Strain mixture through cheese cloth
• Chill mixture
• Mix, in roughly 50/50 proportion, the ginger syrup mixture and the soda water, serve immediately

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