Drinks

Homemade Ginger Beer

July 31, 2026•Traci Cornelius

Ginger beer has to be one of the most fun things to make at home because there is something just so magical about taking a few very ordinary ingredients, leaving them to do their thing and ending up with a naturally fizzy drink that actually feels alive.

I still get a little bit excited when I open a bottle and hear that hiss.

It also happens to be one of those kitchen projects that sounds far more complicated than it really is because once you have an active ginger bug, most of the work has already been done for you.

This is not the intensely sweet fizzy ginger beer you pick up from the supermarket. Homemade ginger beer has a fresher ginger flavour, a little tang from the fermentation and that lovely natural fizz that comes from letting the good bacteria and wild yeast do their thing.

A little about the ginger bug

A ginger bug is a simple live culture made from ginger, sugar and water. Over several days, the naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria begin fermenting the mixture until it becomes bubbly and active.

I think of it in much the same way as a sourdough starter in the way you feed it, keep it active and then use some of that culture to start the fermentation in whatever you are making.

Once you have your ginger bug going, it opens the door to all sorts of naturally fermented drinks, however, ginger beer is probably my favourite use for it.

If you’re new to ginger bugs, have a look at my How to Make a Ginger Bug I show you how to start one, feed it and know when it is ready to use

Homemade Ginger Beer

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Prep Time 15

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

2 ltr Water
130 g Fresh ginger, roughly chopped or grated
200 g Granulated sugar
160 ml Active ginger bug liquid
1 Juice of 1 large lemon

Method

Add the water, ginger and sugar to a large saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Remove from the heat and leave the mixture to cool completely.
Strain out the ginger and pour the cooled liquid into a clean jug or large jar.
Stir in the 160ml active ginger bug liquid and lemon juice.
Pour into two clean 1-litre pressure-safe bottles, leaving a little headspace at the top.
Leave at room temperature for around 1–3 days to carbonate. The exact time will depend on the warmth of the room and how active your ginger bug is.
Once you have a good level of fizz, move the bottles into the fridge to slow the fermentation.
Chill thoroughly before opening and serve cold.

A note on fermentation

Because this is a naturally fermented drink, the bottles can build up quite a bit of pressure. Use proper pressure-safe bottles and keep an eye on them while they are fermenting. If your kitchen is particularly warm or your ginger bug is very active, check them sooner rather than later.

Once refrigerated, fermentation slows considerably, although it does not stop completely.

Storage

Keep the finished ginger beer refrigerated and use within around 1–2 weeks for the best flavour and fizz.

Because it is naturally fermented, pressure can continue to build even in the fridge, just much more slowly, so use bottles designed for carbonated drinks and open them carefully.

Why I love making it

Part of the appeal is simply that it is fun. Watching the bottles become naturally fizzy never really gets old.

But I also love knowing exactly what has gone into it. I can choose the ingredients, control the sweetness and avoid all the unnecessary extras that can creep into shop-bought drinks.

And once you understand how your ginger bug behaves in your own kitchen, it becomes one of those recipes you can keep coming back to and tweaking as you go.

Flavour variations

Once you have made the basic ginger beer a few times, it is really easy to start playing around with the flavours.

A little extra ginger will give it more of a kick, while lemon or lime makes it brighter and sharper, other examples to try are; orange, a few berries, a sprig of mint or even warming spices such as cinnamon or cloves.

I like the fact that the basic recipe gives you something reliable to come back to but you can still change each batch depending on what you have or what you fancy making.

If you add fruit or anything containing extra sugar during the bottle ferment, keep a closer eye on the bottles, as they can carbonate more quickly.

If you make it…

I’d love to know how yours turns out.

There is something very satisfying about that first proper hiss when you open a bottle and realise you have made your own naturally fizzy ginger beer.

If you give it a go, leave a comment below and tell me how long yours took to become fizzy and whether you kept it simple or tried a different flavour. And if you come up with a combination that is especially good, I definitely want to hear about that too!