Fresh Ginger Vs Dried: Which Is Better For Homemade Ginger Ale?

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Ginger ale may have had a relatively recent genesis, dating back to the mid-19th century in an Irish apothecary, but ginger has been in use for thousands of years. As Maricel Gentile, owner of Maricel's Kitchen in East Brunswick, New Jersey, told Chowhound, generations of people throughout Asia have relied on the rhizome as both a spice and a salve, passing down their culinary and medicinal traditions through ginger-enriched broths, marinades, teas, and other beverages. For Gentile, ginger is equally food, medicine, and family history. Her Filipino grandmother would slice ginger into salabat (ginger tea) or soup when she was sick, providing comfort and care through the herbaceous plant, and those memories inform how Gentile makes ginger ale to this day. "Fresh ginger ale," she told Chowhound, "should be refreshing and comforting."

According to Gentile, those qualities require fresh young ginger as opposed to the dried stuff. When ginger is fresh and young, it has a stronger bite and a tender, juicy texture. "Fresh gives you the clean, vibrant kick that makes homemade ginger ale so refreshing," says Gentile. If you're looking for a greater depth of flavor (or just don't have enough fresh on hand), you can add some dried ginger to the fresh — just don't forget to be judicious, as the dried kind is more potent.

Candied ginger or ginger flavorings can be used, but they shouldn't make up the beverage's foundation, except as a last resort. Steeping fresh ginger, insists Gentile, "gives the drink its body and soul."

Candied ginger may not be a real replacement for fresh ginger, but your drink will need some kind of sweetness to round it out. Maricel Gentile suggests using a sweetener that will balance ginger's bold heat, rather than overwhelm or mask it. Ingredients like raw sugar and honey do the job deliciously. "Raw sugar adds a little depth, almost a hint of molasses, and honey brings warmth and floral notes that pair beautifully with ginger," Gentile explains. "Both make the drink feel rich but not heavy."

Especially if you're new to the ginger ale-making game, you can stick to the basic fresh ginger and sweetener ingredients and still produce a pleasingly piquant beverage — but Gentile likes to take advantage of ginger's flavor versatility and toss in touches of heat, citrus, and other herbs and spices. She also suggests a slice of chile pepper or just a pinch of cayenne, lemongrass, mint, or star anise. Then try a squeeze of lime or calamansi, a tangy citrus fruit commonly found in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. You might try experimenting with different sweeteners and spices, like cardamom and coriander, or even savory ginger ale add-ins, like Tabasco, until you find the combination that speaks to you (and your taste buds).

Its distinctive, vibrant taste sets ginger ale apart, but the beverage's brightness would be dimmed without the zest of carbonation. Maricel Gentile suggests using a dedicated carbonator like the Sodastream if you want to have control over your bubbles, or simply adding cold seltzer or club soda for your fizzy component. If you have a little time to invest, though, you can hearken back to ginger ale's fermented history using sugar and an active ginger bug.

Banish those thoughts of creepy-crawlies — a ginger bug is merely the ginger beverage equivalent of a sourdough starter, a culture of microorganisms that's used to ferment. Gentile makes her ginger bug by mixing 1 tablespoon of grated raw ginger (with its skin still on) with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of sugar. This fermented favorite is ideal for all kinds of flavor experimentation, but it is particular about sweeteners — the culture feeds particularly well on sucrose, so raw sugar is recommended. Put the mixture in a clean jar, then continue adding a tablespoon of grated ginger and a tablespoon of sugar each day for about a week. As the microorganisms begin to grow, the mixture will become bubbly, and as the bubbles form, you can use the bug to create naturally carbonated ginger ale. In no time, the drink will be ready to offer its promised refreshment and comfort (and maybe even stomach ache relief).