ROOT BEER Ingredients: 1 gallon water 1-1/2 cups molasses 1 tsp. dry yeast 1/2 ounce each of hops, dried burdock, yellow dock, sarsaparilla, dandelion, sassafras and spikenard roots Preparation: Ingredients can be found at better Health food stores Wash the herbs and bruise them thoroughly with a potato masher or pastry blender. Cover with the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat. Strain into a large crock. Add the molasses and cool to lukewarm. When the mixture is lukewarm, add 1 teaspoon dry yeast and stir. Cover the crock with a cloth and put it in a warm, draft-free place 70-80 degrees F. After 2 hours, pour into clean bottles to within 1/2 inch of the tops. Cap with capper and metal caps, but not corks. Place the capped bottles on their sides in a warm and draft-free spot (70-80 degrees F) for 5 days, then set upright in a cool place. The root beer will be ready to drink in 10 days, but will keep for the whole summer. SPRUCE BEER Ingredients: 5 gallons of water 1/8 pound of hops 1/2 cup of dried, bruised ginger root 1 pound of the outer twigs of spruce fir 3 quarts of molasses 1/2 yeast cake dissolved in 1/2 cup of warm water or 1/2 cup of liquid homemade yeast Preparation: In a large kettle combine the water, hops, ginger root and spruce fir twigs. Boil together until all the hops sink to the bottom of the kettle. Strain into a large crock and stir in the molasses. After this has cooled add the yeast. Cover and leave to set for 48 hours. Then bottle, cap and leave in a warm place (70-75 degrees F) for 5 days. It will now be ready to drink. Store upright in a cool place. GINGER ALE SODA Ingredients: 2 gallons of water 2 ounces of ginger root, thinly sliced and bruised with the back of a knife 4 cups of light raw sugar 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 tablespoon cream of tartar 1 cup liquid homemade yeast or 1 yeast cake dissolved in a cup of warm water Preparation: Combine in a large pot the ginger, sugar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, yeast and water. Let the mixture stand in a warm place for 24 hours. Line a funnel with cheesecloth and strain the liquid into two clean gallon jugs. Cover them tightly and let them stand overnight. Chill well before drinking. Yield: 4 Servings 3 oz Sassafras Bark, dried 2 oz Sarsaparilla, dried 1 oz Dandelion Root, dried 1 oz Burdock Root, dried 1/2 oz Ground Ginger 1/2 oz Ground Cinnamon 1/4 oz Orange Peel, dried Reminiscent of old-fashioned root beer, due to the sassafras. It has a cleansing, revivifying effect from the dandelion, burdock and sarsaparilla. Mix together all ingredients and store in a tightly closed container. In a large pot combine 1 quart of water and 4 tablespoons of dry mixture. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain and sweeten with honey or stevia (also called "sweet herb") if desired. Makes about 4 cups Variation: For iced tea, chill the simmered mixture, then dilute it with 1 quart of sparkling water. Serve over ice with a twist of orange peel. Al's Ginger Beer Recipe Yield: 14 x 10oz bottles 1 Ginger root 1 Lemon, grated rind only 2 oz Cream of tartar 1 1/2 lb Sugar 1 ga Water; boiling 1 Envelope yeast Grate and thoroughly mash the ginger root in a bowl. Place in a large pot and add all ingredients except the yeast. Stir until sugar and cream of tartar is dissolved. Allow mixture to cool, then add yeast which has been started ( dissolved) in a little lukewarm water. Cover tightly for 6 hours, then filter first through a tea strainer or similar, then through cloth. **Bottle and cap or cork tightly, sealed. Place in dark, cool (60 degree) place for two weeks. Chill fully before opening to drink. **corking is recommended over capping - there are fewer "explosive" situations with corks. Old-Fashioned Ginger Beer Recipe Starter 1/2 oz Yeast 2 ts Sugar To Feed The "Plant" 7 ts Ground Ginger 7 ts Sugar To Flavour 1 1/2 lb Sugar Juice Of 2 Lemons Mix starter ingredients with 3/4 pint of warm water in a glass jar. Stir, cover and leave in a warm place for 24 hours. This is your starter "plant". Feed the "plant" with 1 teaspoon each of ground ginger and sugar each day. After 7 days strain through a fine sieve. Dissolve the sugar in 2 pints of water. Add the lemon juice and the liquid from the "plant". Dilute with 5 pints of water, mix well and store in corked bottles for at least 7 days. Use strong bottles as pressure may build up which will cause thin bottles to explode. For the same reason use corked bottles rather than those with a more secure closure that will not 'give' under pressure. The amount of sugar in the final stage can be varied according to taste. Ginger Beer: Ingredients: * 1 handful of fresh ginger root: juiced, grated, or sliced fine about 1/4-1/3 cup of juice, depending on how strong you like it * 2 cups of sugar * 1 gallon of water * 1/2 tablespoon of bread yeast Optional: * substitute 1/4 cup of the white sugar with brown sugar (adds bit of flavor and makes a slightly darker ginger beer) * 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (extra zing!) * 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (balances PH, for smooth mouth feel) * fresh lemon and/or lime Source: "The Herb Companion", Aug/Sept 1990 REAL Root Beer * 5 quarts water * 1/4 ounce hops * 1/2 ounce dried burdock root * 1/2 ounce dried yellow dock root * 1/2 ounce dried sarsaparilla root * 1/2 ounce dried sassafras root * 1/2 ounce dried spikenard root * 1 1 /2 cups sugar * 1/8 tsp granulated yeast Simmer herbs for 30 minutes. Add sugar, stir to dissolve. Cool to lukewarm, add yeast and stir well. Cover and let sit for 1 hour. Bottle as above. Rosemary's Root Beer Tonic Yield: 4 servings Ingredients * 3 oz Sassafras Bark, dried * 2 oz Sarsaparilla, dried * 1 oz Dandelion Root, dried * 1 oz Burdock Root, dried * 1/2 oz Ground Ginger * 1/2 oz Ground Cinnamon * 1/4 oz Orange Peel, dried Instructions This sweet, bracing drink from Rosemary Gladstar Slick is reminiscent of old-fashioned root beer, due to the sassafras. It has a cleansing, revivifying effect from the dandelion, burdock and sarsaparilla. 1. Mix together all ingredients and store in a tightly closed container. In a large pot combine 1 quart of water and 4 tablespoons of dry mixture. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Strai and sweeten with honey or stevia (also called "sweet herb") if desired. Makes about 4 cups Variation: For iced tea, chill the simmered mixture, then dilute it with 1 quart of sparkling water. Serve over ice with a twist of orange peel. Source: Vegetarian Times, April 1993 2. Shared by: Norman R. Brown From: Bob Emert Ginger Beer Recipe By : Harrowsmith Reader Serving Size : 20 Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 gallons boiling water -- 256 oz. 2 lemon -- thinly sliced 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 2 pounds sugar, granulated 2 ounces ginger -- chopped 1/2 teaspoon yeast Boil the water in a stainless steel or enamel pot. Add all remaining ingredients except the yeast. Simmer 20 minutes. Cool to lukewarm and taste. Add more ginger for a livelier flavour. Dissolve yeast in one cup of the mixture and stir back in. Cover and allow to ferment 34-36 hours at 65-70F, i.e. mix it in the morning and bottle the next evening. When a slight white skin of foam appears on the top of the rew it is ready to bottle. Siphon or pour into sterlized bottles removing any lemon slices. After capping age the bottles upright for one week at 60-65F then store in the refrigerator or basement cool room below 60F. NB: This cool storage is very important. Ginger Ale (USA Style) * 5 U.S. Gallons * 6 Ounces of Fresh Ginger Root * 4 Large Lemons (quartered) * 4 Pounds of Sugar * 5 Gallons of Water * 5 Grams of Champagne Yeast Ginger Beer (UK Style) * 5 U.S. Gallons * 12 Ounces of Fresh Ginger Root * 4 Large Lemons, Juiced * 2 Pounds of Sugar * 2 Pounds of Honey * 5 Gallons of Water * 5 Grams of Champagne Yeast Ginger Beer (Asian Style) * 5 U.S. Gallons * 12 Ounces of Fresh Ginger Root * 1/3 Cup of Fresh Lemon Juice * 1 Cup of Fresh Orange Juice * 2 Pounds of Sugar * 2 Pounds of HoneyCream Soda * 5 U.S. Gallons * 2 1/4 Cups of Vanilla Extract * 10 Ounces of Raisins, chopped * 2 1/2 Ounces Cinnamon Bark * 2 Pounds of Sugar * 2 Pounds of Honey * 1 1/4 Teaspoon Cream Of Tartar * 5 Gallons of Water * 5 Grams of Champagne Yeast Lemon Lime Soda * 5 U.S. Gallons * 5 Cups of Fresh Lemon Juice * 3 1/2 Cups of Fresh Lime Juice * 2 Pounds of Sugar * 3 Pounds of Honey * 5 Gallons of Water * 5 Grams of Champagne Yeast