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I recently made some homemade ginger ale. It was good, but it really tasted more like ginger beer. I was hoping for a flavor that tasted a bit more like golden ginger ale, sort of like Red Rock. It has a strong ginger flavor and a bite. What could I add (or how much more ginger should I add) to or what should I change in homemade ginger ale to get this "bite" and stronger ginger flavor?

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    You may consider asking this on homebrew.stackexchange.com as it relates to brewing (albeit not all that alcoholic). They are pretty knowledgeable about all things yeast and fermentation.
    – Wulfhart
    May 17, 2012 at 23:21
  • Red Rock may not be using just ginger flavorings. They probably have a very complex recipe with various flavors and of course only the company will know what those flavors are. Adding more ginger may give it more "bite", but not match their flavor exactly.
    – Wulfhart
    May 17, 2012 at 23:33
  • see cooking.stackexchange.com/q/23279/6279
    – Cos Callis
    May 18, 2012 at 3:18

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If you want a stronger flavor, and more bite, add more ginger. I make a dark, spicy ginger beer. I do not use yeast, but rather force carbonate. I don't know the exact quantities of ingredients used, I just make to taste each time.

Below is my ingredient list:

  • Fresh grated ginger
  • Peppercorns
  • Molasses
  • Cane sugar
  • Fresh squeezed lemon (added after the mixture has cooled)

Molasses: Give the brew a thicker taste and darker caramel color, leave it out if you want it milder.

Ginger: Fresh ginger is key, don't use the powdered stuff. The more ginger you add, the spicier and more bitter it will be. You may need to increase the sugar content a bit too.

Lemon: This adds a nice zing.

Peppercorns: It may sound a little bit odd, but the peppercorns go very nicely with the ginger and lemon. Just add these to taste when you throw in the ginger.

I've also experimented with different types of sugars like Maple Syrup and Palm Sugar. Those each impart different flavors and may be worth trying too.

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    Can you give rough estimated quantities or percentages of the ingredients? I would like to make this, but my wild and ignorant guess at quantities is: .5 kilo ginger, .5 kilo peppercorns, 1 gram molasses, 1 gram sugar, and 10 liters of lemon juice. :p
    – Wulfhart
    May 19, 2012 at 0:28
  • @Wulfhart: 10l lemon juice + 1 gram molasses sounds just right :D
    – nico
    May 19, 2012 at 13:35
  • Thanks for the help! I'll be trying out your suggestions this week--eager to see how the peppercorns and molasses change the flavor.
    – ramblinjan
    May 20, 2012 at 3:25

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