Monday 15 August 2011

Ginger beer

I've always been into ginger beer. As a kid I used to buy the odd bottle from the 'Alpine pop man' who used to drive around the area delivering fizzy pop to whoever.I considered it a sign of affluence if a family had the 'Alpine' man actually deliver pop to the house. Sadly, my mom & dad either were skint, couldn't be arsed to have it delivered or (most unlikely!) thought fizzy, sugary drinks were bad for kids.
Anyway; I made some the other week but  being a big city boy now I decided to enter the premier league of ginger beer & make it alcoholic. So I added to the mixture fresh yeast. Kate was anxious that I didn't cause an explosion in the house ,& insisted that I  release the pressure on a twice daily basis. The smell from the cupboard which houses the central heating boiler was at times overpowering-a yeasty, gingery smell that on reflection was cruel to Charlie the cat (his bowl was adjacent to the cupboard) & the smell made him run out of the kitchen when I opened the screw lid of the bottle(s).
The day dawned last Saturday for the sampling & we took 2 bottles (4 litres) of the magical elixir with us to 'Lahore Karachi' Balti Buffet restaurant on Ladypool Road. Lovely!
As usual I got it all wrong.
You see, this restaurant is a buffet restaurant & you can eat as much as you want for the princely sum of £8.95p-BUT:- I see this as a CHALLENGE NOT AN OFFER..... & I left with a sore gut, full bladder & spinning head from the ginger beer.
The ginger beer was I believe, 4% alcohol content-& it was gorgeous!
As I type I have another 6 litres on the go in the home brew bucket my friend John Middleton gave me. Incidently, I am attempting to increase the alcohol content of this 'vintage'.

Who needs the 'Alpine 'man!!













1 comment:

  1. Glad to see the old home brew kit's getting some use. You've had more success than me already!

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