Drinks for the repentant
Ginger can forgive many sins when it’s brewed into a drink, as Lucy Corry explains.
Let me guess: you’ve sworn off the grog. You’re not alone. More people vow to lower their alcohol consumption on January 1 than any other date on the calendar.
Don’t worry if you don’t follow through – whether you’re giving up alcohol, sugar, smoking or being a sanctimonious pain in the proverbial, most people give up giving up before the new year is a week old.
While it’s good to have a goal, experience has taught me that it’s far better to resolve to do something that doesn’t involve denial.
My most successful New Year resolutions have involved learning, doing or making something rather than donning a hairshirt and immediately feeling deprived.
I still haven’t nailed last year’s resolution – to be able to do the splits – but I reckon 2018 might be the time to do it. Then again, that could be the drink talking.
Homemade ginger beer
If you’d like a little kitchen project to see in the New Year, homemade ginger beer is extremely gratifying. It’s quick to make and doesn’t require any fancy ingredients. At the very least, it will give you a nonalcoholic option to quaff if you have decided to say no to the demon drink.
For the syrup:
❚ cup caster sugar
13 tablespoon ground ginger
❚ 3cm fresh ginger, finely grated
❚
❚ Finely grated zest and juice of two lemons
❚ 1 cup boiling water
For the yeast:
❚ teaspoon dried yeast
❚ teaspoon sugar
❚ 2 tablespoon lukewarm water Make the syrup first by putting the caster sugar, fresh and ground ginger and lemon zest in a bowl. Stir in the boiling water and leave to steep for 10 minutes.
Put the yeast, teaspoon sugar and warm water in a cup and set aside until it is bubbly.
Set a sieve over a funnel into a clean 1.5-litre plastic soft drink bottle. Pour in the syrup, followed by the lemon juice, pressing down to extract all the syrup from the grated zest and ginger.
Fill the bottle with cold tap water until about 5cm from the top.
Shake to mix, then add the yeast mixture.
Cover tightly with the lid. Leave in a warm place (the kitchen will be warm enough in summer) until the bottle feels hard when you squeeze it. This will take about 24-36 hours.
Chill in the fridge before opening.
Ginger panache´
Pairing your homemade ginger beer with a crisp lager makes for an instantly refreshing pick-meup. If you’re too cool to be seen drinking a shandy, tell everyone it’s a panache´ (that’s what you call a shandy in France). Sante´ !
❚ 1 x 375ml bottle lager, very chilled
❚ 1 cups (375ml) homemade ginger beer, very chilled
❚ 1 lemon, sliced Ice
Half-fill two tall glasses with ice.
Half-fill each one with ginger beer, then top with an equal amount of lager.
Stir to mix, garnish with lemon slices and serve immediately.
Repeat as necessary with remaining lager and ginger beer.
Gin con gin
Need something a little stronger to help you ease into the new year? Swap your usual tonic for ginger beer and you’ll never look back.
I discovered ‘‘gin con gin’’ as a teenager in Chile – my parents and I thought it was a hilarious concept, even though I was never allowed one.
❚ 2 measures gin
❚ 2 sprigs fresh mint
❚ 1 cup (250ml) homemade ginger beer, very chilled
❚ 1 lemon
Half-fill two squat tumblers with ice.
Crush half the mint leaves and add to the glass.
Pour in the gin, plus a squeeze of lemon juice.
Top up with ginger beer and garnish with the remaining mint leaves and a slice of lemon.
❚ For more of Lucy’s recipes, visit thekitchenmaid.com. To see what she’s cooking on a daily basis, find her on Instagram or Facebook.