Another old-time favorite is ginger beer, translated by the soft-drink industry into ginger ale. It is interesting to compare the three following recipes. The Nineteenth-Century English Ginger Beer utilizes brown sugar and lemons, with ginger, cream of tartar and yeast for flavor and fizz. The two modern recipes depend on ginger and yeast, but resemble the 1859 version.
In setting up the brews in this section, follow the same general procedures when making Root Beer. The equipment is basically the same— hose and bottle filler for siphoning (to prevent transferring sediment to bottles), huge plastic pail for the mixing. The bottle
capper, bottles, and crown caps would be needed for beverages that will be carbonated. Sterilize the equipment before using it.
Drinks that have yeast as an ingredient usually taste better if they're allowed to rest several days before they're served, so the flavor can ripen and the sediment settle. Those without yeast normally can be served right away. In these recipes, the water is lukewarm to dissolve the sugar easily. But if you're planning to mix the ingredients in a crock or a big, heavy container rather than a plastic pail, it is a good idea to warm the crock or container first by scalding it with a kettleful of boiling water.