Homemade Ginger Ale

When you're trying to avoid sugary products it's easy to feel there are no refreshing drink options left to choose from. Juices have high impact on blood sugar and should be had in small amounts; that 24 oz bottle on the store shelf is going to be way too much sugar overload!  Soda is out of the question.  Bottled teas are usually sugar-laden, and Gatorade? Better than soda but still a long way from wholesome. What are you left with but water or empty "diet" products?

Here is an acceptable drink you can make at home. But more than acceptable, it's even healthy!  This is Ginger Ale, not the kind you're used to buying at the supermarket, but the real thing (betcha didn't know there was a real thing), and it's super easy to make yourself. This recipe is based off of the traditional way of making ginger ale, similar to the "ginger water", that farmers and field workers used to use to quench their thirst after hard work in the sun.  The ginger would help the body hydrate without getting nauseous as can happen with plain water.  Ginger also promotes digestion, blood circulation, is great for treating nausea and diahrrea, helps regulate blood sugar, even helps relieve menstrual cramps and gas and bloating.  Sally Fallon, the author of the book I got the recipe from, Nourishing Traditions, advises drinking a small amount of this ginger ale (at room temperature) with meals to help with digestion, especially if the meal consists of all cooked food (low in enzymes) because it helps stimulate the body's intestinal juices.

On top of our star ingredient the recipe includes lime juice, which has myriad benefits to the body, salt (electrolytes, anyone?), and whey.  Whey is something of a wonderfood, containing lactose, calcium, vitamins, minerals and protein; it's excellent for the gut and it helps regulate and reduce sugar spikes because it increases insulin secretion.  Don't worry about how to get whey, I'll tell you how to make your own below, with extremely minimal effort.

There is sugar in this recipe, but it's a nominal amount, you can use less if you please, and as usual we aren't using refined white sugar. Between the sugar regulating properties of both ginger and whey, I think we've come to kind of a safe zone in regards to sugar spiking. Still, like anything with sugar you don't want to consume large amounts, so I wouldn't suggest drinking more than a half a quart in a day (equal to a can of soda but with about 40 percent less sugar); in fact, less is better--I don't drink usually more than one cup, that is, 8 oz.  If I'm taking it with me on the run I put it in a small glass bottle with a cap that used to contain sparkling water, like the size of those mini soda cans.

The flavor of this ginger ale is more akin to Gatorade than to soda, and of course it isn't carbonated like soda, although I believe "ginger beer" is naturally carbonated, but that's another beast altogether.  If you feel you need carbonation you can mix it in a glass with sparkling water, but of course it will be partially diluted. It's a good way to stretch the ginger ale so it feels like you're having more. You can toy around with the amounts until it tastes right to you. 

The amount of ginger I call for is half of what Sally Fallon calls for in the book because it came out far too "hot" for me. This has a bit of spice to it but it's pleasant.If you find you really enjoy this as I do, it's easy to double or quadruple the recipe to have it ready when you want it.  Start to finish you'll spend about ten minutes making this, and the rest is up to nature. 

makes 1 quart

Ginger Ale

1/4 cup plus one tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated (I use a microplane zester)

1/4 cup lime juice (or juice of one lime)

1/4 cup whey (see below)

1/4 cup evaporated cane juice (see "Guide to Natural Sweeteners tab) I find mine at Trader Joe's

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 quart filtered water

Put it all together in a sterilized quart sized jar with a tight fitting lid.  Close the lid, shake it up, and let it sit at room temperature for two to three days.  There may even have formed a slight bit of natural carbonation, so don't be alarmed if you see this.  Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth and return liquid to the jar.  From now on store it in the refrigerator and shake it up before serving.  Due to the whey, ginger ale should last for months and months in the fridge, as whey has been used for centuries as a food preservative.

To make whey:

Put a fine mesh sieve over a bowl.  Line the sieve with either a double layer of coffee filters or cheesecloth.  Scoop around a cup of plain yogurt (use a natural one without additives) into the lined sieve.  Please do not use non-fat, ever.  The fat in the yogurt is what's good for you!  Anyway, allow the liquid drain out from the yogurt and into the bowl.  This is whey!  Leave it sit until you get a quarter cup, and that shouldn't take more than an hour; usually less.  That's it!