✦Genuine Ginger Beer Always Was (and Still Is) a Game-Changer Drink✦

I remember back in the early 2000s when genuine ginger beer came onto the mainstream American (bar) scene. A naturally carbonated beverage that wasn’t a “soda,” and certainly not a “soft” drink—even though it’s non-alcoholic (note that some ‘traditional’ styles contain trace amounts, around 0.5% to 2% ABV). Full of fabulous flavor, amazing on its own or as an elevating mixer that made magic when poured over ice that’s chillin’ with ANY spirit. Whether on its own or combined, ginger beer brought a welcomed tingling sensation as it slid down one’s throat. Unlike anything else at the time: bold and bracing - a deliciously brilliant addition to any bar….

My West Indian friends already knew about ginger beer . British friends too of varied hues too — which surprised at first til I read on Wikipedia (and its source material) that ginger beer was “born” in mid-18th-century England. Hmmmmm 🧐🤔. But ok….I suppose.

I wouldn’t have blinked twice — if the entry had gone on to name or even hint at a Caribbean/West Indian, Asiatic, or Africanic-heritage UK persons as the doulas who begat ginger beer. Bottom line — IMHO — this particular Wikipedia entry felt bereft of any cultural context….

No surprise, there’s a much more to the ginger beer story — and I’d love to take a deeper dive into this amazing drink’s multifaceted origins, history, and evolution to what we have available on the market today, as well as to talk with people who make their own either from a family recipe or other sources.

Drink historian i am, I happen to have on-hand historical ginger beer recipes. Two are from a 19th Century Black butler who was born in 1780 in South Carolina but worked professionally in New England throughout the 1800’s…

Join my PATREON where you can get much more insight and scoop — And if you’re already a Patreon supporter, I look forward to you redeeming your perks, including more storytelling including what ginger beer has to do with the acclaimed PBS show "All Creatures Great and Small" Plus pdf copies of the ginger beer recipes I mentioned earlier ;)

In the meantime:

📆 THIS LINK takes you to the current month calendar to explore more ……

(📸 all original photos: t. hopkins aka @thefoodgriot )