On 3/4/2012 2:27 PM, sf wrote:
> On Sat, 3 Mar 2012 15:39:51 -0800 (PST), >
> wrote:
>
>> Eating ginger while on a boat is a cure for seasickness. Well, that's what they say over here.
>
> I sincerely doubt it. Over here, it's supposed to cure sore throats.
> In reality, it does what a cough drop or other throat lozenge would do
> - provide temporary relief at best.
>
My obstetrician recommended flat ginger ale for me, when I was suffering
from nausea after an emergency C-section - it worked.

On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:53:19 -0500, S Viemeister
> wrote:

> On 3/4/2012 2:27 PM, sf wrote:
> > On Sat, 3 Mar 2012 15:39:51 -0800 (PST), >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Eating ginger while on a boat is a cure for seasickness. Well, that's what they say over here.
> >
> > I sincerely doubt it. Over here, it's supposed to cure sore throats.
> > In reality, it does what a cough drop or other throat lozenge would do
> > - provide temporary relief at best.
> >
> My obstetrician recommended flat ginger ale for me, when I was suffering
> from nausea after an emergency C-section - it worked.

Any flat soda will work if you believe. Coke syrup used to be
prescribed by the Dr and the pharmacist filled it from his soda
fountain.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

On 04/03/2012 3:19 PM, sf wrote:

> Any flat soda will work if you believe. Coke syrup used to be
> prescribed by the Dr and the pharmacist filled it from his soda
> fountain.
>

When I was a kit we used to be able to buy soft drink syrups. They came
in 1 or 2 gallon jugs.

On 3/4/2012 10:34 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 04/03/2012 3:19 PM, sf wrote:
>
>> Any flat soda will work if you believe. Coke syrup used to be
>> prescribed by the Dr and the pharmacist filled it from his soda
>> fountain.
>>
>
> When I was a kit we used to be able to buy soft drink syrups. They came
> in 1 or 2 gallon jugs.

My generation grew up on gallons of Malolo syrup. My guess is that the
most popular flavors would be Strawberry, Fruit punch, and Orange.

http://www.onlyfromhawaii.com/malolo-3.aspx

On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 15:34:08 -0500, Dave Smith
> wrote:

> On 04/03/2012 3:19 PM, sf wrote:
>
> > Any flat soda will work if you believe. Coke syrup used to be
> > prescribed by the Dr and the pharmacist filled it from his soda
> > fountain.
> >
>
> When I was a kit we used to be able to buy soft drink syrups. They came
> in 1 or 2 gallon jugs.

We're about the same age and were raised in the same general
(expanded) geographic area. Maybe my parents didn't have a sparkling
water source, maybe they didn't want to mix their own soft drinks or
maybe the grocery store just plain didn't sell that stuff (small town,
only one grocery store), so we just bought the coke syrup when the Dr.
wrote a prescription for it.

--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:53:19 -0500, S Viemeister wrote:
>
>> On 3/4/2012 2:27 PM, sf wrote:
>>> On Sat, 3 Mar 2012 15:39:51 -0800 (PST), >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Eating ginger while on a boat is a cure for seasickness. Well, that's what they say over here.
>>> I sincerely doubt it. Over here, it's supposed to cure sore throats.
>>> In reality, it does what a cough drop or other throat lozenge would do
>>> - provide temporary relief at best.
>>>
>> My obstetrician recommended flat ginger ale for me, when I was suffering
>> from nausea after an emergency C-section - it worked.
>
> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. Most of it is
> not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>
> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>
> -sw

recipe? Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer.... I need to make a list of
ingredients and go back to a few shops that carry the
more-esoteric ingredients. It is very hard to find sarsaparilla
recipes that don't contain sassafras, and probably impossible to
fond root beer ones that lack it. Birch beer I haven't yet looked
for. I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
chile? Do you use lemon?

--
Jean B.

Jean B. wrote:
> Sqwertz wrote:
>
>> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>
> recipe? Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
> beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer.... I need to make a list of
> ingredients and go back to a few shops that carry the
> more-esoteric ingredients.

This weekend my wife was going through a box of ancient papers and in it
were ones I printed or copied in the late 1970s early 1980s. I'll see
if the page with root beer, birch beer and spruce beer is still
available.

> It is very hard to find sarsaparilla
> recipes that don't contain sassafras, and probably impossible to
> fond root beer ones that lack it. Birch beer I haven't yet looked
> for.

The one I've made did use sassafrass. I spent hours in the botany
section of the local university's library before I decided I was willing
to go "Yes, I know it's not allowed for human consumption. I'm using it
to make potpouri for the aroma" when I purchased it. No way will I
recommend anyne use sassafrass for their own consumption. Go read the
botany textbooks yourself and decide that for yourself.

> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
> chile? Do you use lemon?

I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.

On 05/03/2012 3:19 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:

>> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
>> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
>> chile? Do you use lemon?
>
> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.

Is that ginger ale or ginger beer? I have always likes ginger beer. I
used to let the 1.5 liter jugs once in a while, but none of the local
grocery stores carry them any more. Some don't even have the smaller
bottles, which cost almost as much. The only place I can get the large
bottles now is in the Caribbean store.

Dave Smith > writes:

> On 05/03/2012 3:19 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
>
>>> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
>>> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
>>> chile? Do you use lemon?
>>
>> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.
>
> Is that ginger ale or ginger beer? I have always likes ginger beer. I
> used to let the 1.5 liter jugs once in a while, but none of the local
> grocery stores carry them any more. Some don't even have the smaller
> bottles, which cost almost as much. The only place I can get the large
> bottles now is in the Caribbean store.

What's the difference? I've never been clear on that.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, ; http://dd-b.net/
Snapshots: http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/
Photos: http://dd-b.net/photography/gallery/
Dragaera: http://dragaera.info

On 05/03/2012 4:03 PM, David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
> Dave > writes:
>
>> On 05/03/2012 3:19 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
>>
>>>> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
>>>> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
>>>> chile? Do you use lemon?
>>>
>>> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.
>>
>> Is that ginger ale or ginger beer? I have always likes ginger beer. I
>> used to let the 1.5 liter jugs once in a while, but none of the local
>> grocery stores carry them any more. Some don't even have the smaller
>> bottles, which cost almost as much. The only place I can get the large
>> bottles now is in the Caribbean store.
>
> What's the difference? I've never been clear on that.

Ginger ale is generally very light straw colour, probably lightly
coloured with a small amount of caramel. Ginger beer is usually more of
a grey colour with tones of brown and or green. It has a bite too it. I
love the ginger beer, but most people around here steer clear of it.

Dave Smith > writes:

> On 05/03/2012 4:03 PM, David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
>> Dave > writes:
>>
>>> On 05/03/2012 3:19 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
>>>
>>>>> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
>>>>> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
>>>>> chile? Do you use lemon?
>>>>
>>>> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.
>>>
>>> Is that ginger ale or ginger beer? I have always likes ginger beer. I
>>> used to let the 1.5 liter jugs once in a while, but none of the local
>>> grocery stores carry them any more. Some don't even have the smaller
>>> bottles, which cost almost as much. The only place I can get the large
>>> bottles now is in the Caribbean store.
>>
>> What's the difference? I've never been clear on that.
>
> Ginger ale is generally very light straw colour, probably lightly
> coloured with a small amount of caramel. Ginger beer is usually more
> of a grey colour with tones of brown and or green. It has a bite too
> it. I love the ginger beer, but most people around here steer clear of
> it.

I've had both quite a lot, and while the beers vary more and all the
spiciest ones I've tasted use the "beer" label, they're all part of the
same "space" to me, just making little changes to the parameters.
--
David Dyer-Bennet, ; http://dd-b.net/
Snapshots: http://dd-b.net/dd-b/SnapshotAlbum/data/
Photos: http://dd-b.net/photography/gallery/
Dragaera: http://dragaera.info

Dave Smith wrote:
> David Dyer-Bennet wrote:
>> Dave > writes:
>>> Doug Freyburger wrote:
>
>>>> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.
>
>>> Is that ginger ale or ginger beer?
>
>> What's the difference?
>
> Ginger ale is generally very light straw colour, probably lightly
> coloured with a small amount of caramel. Ginger beer is usually more of
> a grey colour with tones of brown and or green. It has a bite too it. I
> love the ginger beer, but most people around here steer clear of it.

There are "ginger ale" sodas like Canada Dry where the amount of
flavoring is small or like Vernors where the flavoring is strong but
it's not obvious to me that it's from ginger.

There are ginger sodas like the one from Trader Joe and the Jamaican one
with the bird on the label where the ginger flavor is so strong I can
almost taste the soil the ginger grew in. I have no idea if these
products count as "ginger beer". I figure based on the clarity of the
flavor they would be called "GINGER ale".

Doug Freyburger wrote:
> Jean B. wrote:
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>> recipe? Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
>> beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer.... I need to make a list of
>> ingredients and go back to a few shops that carry the
>> more-esoteric ingredients.
>
> This weekend my wife was going through a box of ancient papers and in it
> were ones I printed or copied in the late 1970s early 1980s. I'll see
> if the page with root beer, birch beer and spruce beer is still
> available.
>
>> It is very hard to find sarsaparilla
>> recipes that don't contain sassafras, and probably impossible to
>> fond root beer ones that lack it. Birch beer I haven't yet looked
>> for.
>
> The one I've made did use sassafrass. I spent hours in the botany
> section of the local university's library before I decided I was willing
> to go "Yes, I know it's not allowed for human consumption. I'm using it
> to make potpouri for the aroma" when I purchased it. No way will I
> recommend anyne use sassafrass for their own consumption. Go read the
> botany textbooks yourself and decide that for yourself.
>
>> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
>> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
>> chile? Do you use lemon?
>
> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.

I can get decent ginger ale. Actually, I rarely even drink soft
drinks. I am interested in the tinkering, the discovery, and then
drinking a wee bit.

The sassafras is my major sticking point. OTOH, as I was looking
into sarsaparilla flavor again, I am seeing varying reports re its
palatability. I am beginning to suspect that sassafras is the
flavor that is associated with all such things, no matter what
they name may be.

--
Jean B.

On Mar 5, 7:10*pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
> Doug Freyburger wrote:
> > Jean B. wrote:
> >> Sqwertz wrote:
>
> >>> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
> >> recipe? *Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
> >> beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer.... *I need to make a list of
> >> ingredients and go back to a few shops that carry the
> >> more-esoteric ingredients.
>
> > This weekend my wife was going through a box of ancient papers and in it
> > were ones I printed or copied in the late 1970s early 1980s. *I'll see
> > if the page with root beer, birch beer and spruce beer is still
> > available.
>
> >> It is very hard to find sarsaparilla
> >> recipes that don't contain sassafras, and probably impossible to
> >> fond root beer ones that lack it. *Birch beer I haven't yet looked
> >> for.
>
> > The one I've made did use sassafrass. *I spent hours in the botany
> > section of the local university's library before I decided I was willing
> > to go "Yes, I know it's not allowed for human consumption. *I'm using it
> > to make potpouri for the aroma" when I purchased it. *No way will I
> > recommend anyne use sassafrass for their own consumption. *Go read the
> > botany textbooks yourself and decide that for yourself.
>
> >> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. *Do you get all
> >> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
> >> chile? *Do you use lemon?
>
> > I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.
>
> I can get decent ginger ale. *Actually, I rarely even drink soft
> drinks. *I am interested in the tinkering, the discovery, and then
> drinking a wee bit.
>
> The sassafras is my major sticking point. *OTOH, as I was looking
> into sarsaparilla flavor again, I am seeing varying reports re its
> palatability. *I am beginning to suspect that sassafras is the
> flavor that is associated with all such things, no matter what
> they name may be.

It's just a little carcinogenic. Probably a case of root beer would
add up to one cigarette.

spamtrap1888 wrote:
> "Jean B." > wrote:
>
>> The sassafras is my major sticking point. *OTOH, as I was looking
>> into sarsaparilla flavor again, I am seeing varying reports re its
>> palatability. *I am beginning to suspect that sassafras is the
>> flavor that is associated with all such things, no matter what
>> they name may be.

The artificial root beer flavorings sold at home brew shops are all
attempts to imitiate the saferol of sassafras without being
carcinogenic.

> It's just a little carcinogenic. Probably a case of root beer would
> add up to one cigarette.

After I spent time in the botany section of the university library
studying the effects of saferol I concluded that the amount of sugar in
full sugar sodas would be more likely to kill me from diabetes than the
saferol would be to kill me from cancer.

I do home brewed ale and mead that I target as dry not sweet. I might
be interested in experimenting to make a dry root beer with alcohol not
sugar. Or I might be interested in tinkering to make a diet root beer
using liquid splenda added when it is bottled.

Doug Freyburger wrote:
> spamtrap1888 wrote:
>> "Jean B." > wrote:
>>
>>> The sassafras is my major sticking point. OTOH, as I was looking
>>> into sarsaparilla flavor again, I am seeing varying reports re its
>>> palatability. I am beginning to suspect that sassafras is the
>>> flavor that is associated with all such things, no matter what
>>> they name may be.
>
> The artificial root beer flavorings sold at home brew shops are all
> attempts to imitiate the saferol of sassafras without being
> carcinogenic.

Ah, but I want to MAKE the extract myself from real ingredients.

>
>> It's just a little carcinogenic. Probably a case of root beer would
>> add up to one cigarette.

I try to avoid carcinogens or to expose myself as rarely as
possible (given that I on rare occasions do eat things like
UNcured meats or even more rarely cured ones).
>
> After I spent time in the botany section of the university library
> studying the effects of saferol I concluded that the amount of sugar in
> full sugar sodas would be more likely to kill me from diabetes than the
> saferol would be to kill me from cancer.

Do you recall the type of cancer it may be linked with?
>
> I do home brewed ale and mead that I target as dry not sweet. I might
> be interested in experimenting to make a dry root beer with alcohol not
> sugar. Or I might be interested in tinkering to make a diet root beer
> using liquid splenda added when it is bottled.

The latter might be worthy. (I am not into alcohol, other than
cooking with it... which is lucky, because I am now not supposed
to drink it.)

--
Jean B.

spamtrap1888 wrote:
> On Mar 5, 7:10 pm, "Jean B." > wrote:
>> Doug Freyburger wrote:
>>> Jean B. wrote:
>>>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>>>> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>>>> recipe? Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
>>>> beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer.... I need to make a list of
>>>> ingredients and go back to a few shops that carry the
>>>> more-esoteric ingredients.
>>> This weekend my wife was going through a box of ancient papers and in it
>>> were ones I printed or copied in the late 1970s early 1980s. I'll see
>>> if the page with root beer, birch beer and spruce beer is still
>>> available.
>>>> It is very hard to find sarsaparilla
>>>> recipes that don't contain sassafras, and probably impossible to
>>>> fond root beer ones that lack it. Birch beer I haven't yet looked
>>>> for.
>>> The one I've made did use sassafrass. I spent hours in the botany
>>> section of the local university's library before I decided I was willing
>>> to go "Yes, I know it's not allowed for human consumption. I'm using it
>>> to make potpouri for the aroma" when I purchased it. No way will I
>>> recommend anyne use sassafrass for their own consumption. Go read the
>>> botany textbooks yourself and decide that for yourself.
>>>> I think ginger ale is probably very easy. Do you get all
>>>> the punch from the ginger, or do you use cayenne or some other
>>>> chile? Do you use lemon?
>>> I see very good Jamiacan style ginger ale in stores here in Chicao metro.
>> I can get decent ginger ale. Actually, I rarely even drink soft
>> drinks. I am interested in the tinkering, the discovery, and then
>> drinking a wee bit.
>>
>> The sassafras is my major sticking point. OTOH, as I was looking
>> into sarsaparilla flavor again, I am seeing varying reports re its
>> palatability. I am beginning to suspect that sassafras is the
>> flavor that is associated with all such things, no matter what
>> they name may be.
>
> It's just a little carcinogenic. Probably a case of root beer would
> add up to one cigarette.

Well, I would have to refresh my memory about the type of cancer
it could contribute to. I already probably have an oncogene, and
I don't particularly want to go the way of my mother (pancreatic
cancer). There is also liver cancer in the family.

--
Jean B.

Doug Freyburger wrote:
> Jean B. wrote:
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>>
>> recipe? Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
>> beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer.... I need to make a list of
>> ingredients and go back to a few shops that carry the
>> more-esoteric ingredients.
>
> This weekend my wife was going through a box of ancient papers and in it
> were ones I printed or copied in the late 1970s early 1980s. I'll see
> if the page with root beer, birch beer and spruce beer is still
> available.

This is from page 53 of some book that I photocopied a few pages of back
in that era. I've long since forgotten what the title of the book is.

"Root beer

You'll need 1/2 ounce each of hops and dried burdock, yellow dock,
sarsaparilla, dandelion, sassafras and spikenard roots for each gallon
of water. Wash and bruise them well, using a potato masher or pie crust
blender. Cover with the water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. While still hot straininto a large
crock, discarding roots. Add 1 1/2 cups molasses to each gallon of
water and cool to lukewarm.

When lukewarm add 1 teaspoon dry yeast (or 2 tablespoons homemade liquid
yeast) and stir well to mix. Set the crock in a warm, draft-free corner
where the temperature is 70 to 80 degrees. Cover with a cloth and let
set for two hours. Then bottle, filling to within 1/2 inch of the top.
Cap bottles using capper and metal caps not corks.

Place capped bottles on their sides in a warm (70 to 80 degree)
draft-free place for 5 days, then set upright in a cool place. Root
beer is ready to drink after 10 days, but will keep well through the
summer."

My notes on the first time I made this recipe - Keep the bottles
outside. A few exploded. The cloth cover during the resting period was
insufficent as the surviving bottles foamed to much for all but a taste.
Weird flavor.

My notes from the second time I made this recipe - Using the metal cover
not the cloth cover worked to prevent infection by bacteria or wild
yeast. Should use beer brewing sanitation methods. The smell and
flavor of the spikenard was far to wierd, suggest using more sassafras
and/or sarsaparilla. The resulting soda was good to anyone not told it
was root beer and I think it was the spikenard wierdness that did that.

My notes many years later - The boil phase could probably be continued
until the liquid was reduced to a concentrate. Soda could be made from
that concentrate. I wonder how to get it to work with liquid Splenda
drops to make a diet root beer.

The recipe on the next page is for birch beer. Notice that the
flavoring comes from wintergreen leaves as much as from birch bark.

"Bark and root berr

Gather a half bushel of mixed spruce boughs, sassafras roots,
sarsaparilla roots, sweet fern, wintergreen leaves, black birch bark,
black cherry bark, dandelion roots and burdock roots. Clean well, cut
up and boil in 6 gallons of water to which has been added a large
handfull of hops and a quart of wheat bran.
Cook for 20 minutes then strain through a sieve into a large crock.
Add 3 quarts of molasses. Cool, then stir in 1 cup liquid yeast (or 1
yeast cake disolved in 1 ccup of water). Cover and let set 3 days in a
warm place. Bottle and cap. It will be ready to drink after 3 more
days."

As I have not tried this recipe I don't have notes from my experiences.

On 3/7/2012 3:06 PM, Doug Freyburger wrote:
> This is from page 53 of some book that I photocopied a few pages of back
> in that era. I've long since forgotten what the title of the book is.
>
> "Root beer
>
> You'll need 1/2 ounce each of hops and dried burdock, yellow dock,
> sarsaparilla, dandelion, sassafras and spikenard roots for each gallon
> of water. Wash and bruise them well, using a potato masher or pie crust
> blender. Cover with the water and bring to a boil over high heat.
> Lower heat and simmer 20 minutes. While still hot straininto a large
> crock, discarding roots. Add 1 1/2 cups molasses to each gallon of
> water and cool to lukewarm.
>
> When lukewarm add 1 teaspoon dry yeast (or 2 tablespoons homemade liquid
> yeast) and stir well to mix. Set the crock in a warm, draft-free corner
> where the temperature is 70 to 80 degrees. Cover with a cloth and let
> set for two hours. Then bottle, filling to within 1/2 inch of the top.
> Cap bottles using capper and metal caps not corks.
>
> Place capped bottles on their sides in a warm (70 to 80 degree)
> draft-free place for 5 days, then set upright in a cool place. Root
> beer is ready to drink after 10 days, but will keep well through the
> summer."
>
> My notes on the first time I made this recipe - Keep the bottles
> outside. A few exploded. The cloth cover during the resting period was
> insufficent as the surviving bottles foamed to much for all but a taste.
> Weird flavor.
>
> My notes from the second time I made this recipe - Using the metal cover
> not the cloth cover worked to prevent infection by bacteria or wild
> yeast. Should use beer brewing sanitation methods. The smell and
> flavor of the spikenard was far to wierd, suggest using more sassafras
> and/or sarsaparilla. The resulting soda was good to anyone not told it
> was root beer and I think it was the spikenard wierdness that did that.
>
> My notes many years later - The boil phase could probably be continued
> until the liquid was reduced to a concentrate. Soda could be made from
> that concentrate. I wonder how to get it to work with liquid Splenda
> drops to make a diet root beer.
>
> The recipe on the next page is for birch beer. Notice that the
> flavoring comes from wintergreen leaves as much as from birch bark.
>
> "Bark and root berr
>
> Gather a half bushel of mixed spruce boughs, sassafras roots,
> sarsaparilla roots, sweet fern, wintergreen leaves, black birch bark,
> black cherry bark, dandelion roots and burdock roots. Clean well, cut
> up and boil in 6 gallons of water to which has been added a large
> handfull of hops and a quart of wheat bran.
> Cook for 20 minutes then strain through a sieve into a large crock.
> Add 3 quarts of molasses. Cool, then stir in 1 cup liquid yeast (or 1
> yeast cake disolved in 1 ccup of water). Cover and let set 3 days in a
> warm place. Bottle and cap. It will be ready to drink after 3 more
> days."
>
> As I have not tried this recipe I don't have notes from my experiences.

I saw a box of this stuff in my son's room. What a goofy idea - or is it?

http://spikeyourjuice.com/

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:00:53 -0500, Jean B. wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:53:19 -0500, S Viemeister wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 3/4/2012 2:27 PM, sf wrote:
>>>>> On Sat, 3 Mar 2012 15:39:51 -0800 (PST), >
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Eating ginger while on a boat is a cure for seasickness. Well, that's what they say over here.
>>>>> I sincerely doubt it. Over here, it's supposed to cure sore throats.
>>>>> In reality, it does what a cough drop or other throat lozenge would do
>>>>> - provide temporary relief at best.
>>>>>
>>>> My obstetrician recommended flat ginger ale for me, when I was suffering
>>>> from nausea after an emergency C-section - it worked.
>>> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. Most of it is
>>> not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>>>
>>> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>>>
>>> -sw
>> recipe? Coincidentally, I am sniffing around for recipes for root
>> beer, sarsaparilla, birch beer....
>
> I saw that, but I had no suggestions.
>
> For my ginger ale I just steep a lot of grated ginger with crushed
> allspice and cardamom for 20-25 minutes. Sometimes fresh cayenne or
> thai bird pepper. Then press out all the juice, add lime juice, water
> it down to my preferred level, then add sugar to taste (on the light
> side).
>
> I generally only get maybe 2 liters out of one pound of ginger. Which
> is pretty damn potent.
>
> Of course I have a picture for all occasions:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwertz...6136/lightbox/
>
> Sometimes I'll add yeast and get some mild alcohol and carbonation:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwertz...0547/lightbox/
>
> Disclaimer: Part of that allspice is actually black pepper. It's not
> supposed to be in there and was separated out.
>
> -sw

You are always armed to take pics! Neat! So you sometimes drink
that still? Seems to me that I usually see the Grolsch (sp) type
bottles recommended. I gather you haven't had any issue with the
bottles you show?

--
Jean B.

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:55:32 -0500, Jean B. wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>
>>> Sometimes I'll add yeast and get some mild alcohol and carbonation:
>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwertz...0547/lightbox/
>>>
>>> Disclaimer: Part of that allspice is actually black pepper. It's not
>>> supposed to be in there and was separated out.
>> You are always armed to take pics! Neat! So you sometimes drink
>> that still? Seems to me that I usually see the Grolsch (sp) type
>> bottles recommended. I gather you haven't had any issue with the
>> bottles you show?
>
> These are fine. They only fermented for 7-10 days. And it was a weak
> yeast. Just crack one of the lids every once in a while to make sure
> it's not too pressurized. I don't usually bottle and ferment them.
>
> -sw

Ah, I was talking with a woman whose hubby had been a soda jerk
way back in prehistoric days. His mother used to make ginger beer
and keep it in the garage. I gather she wasn't too careful, with
the obviously results.

--
Jean B.

On Mar 4, 6:43*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:53:19 -0500, S Viemeister wrote:
> > On 3/4/2012 2:27 PM, sf wrote:
> >> On Sat, 3 Mar 2012 15:39:51 -0800 (PST), >
> >> wrote:
>
> >>> Eating ginger while on a boat is a cure for seasickness. Well, that's what they say over here.
>
> >> I sincerely doubt it. *Over here, it's supposed to cure sore throats..
> >> In reality, it does what a cough drop or other throat lozenge would do
> >> - provide temporary relief at best.
>
> > My obstetrician recommended flat ginger ale for me, when I was suffering
> > from nausea after an emergency C-section - it worked.
>
> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. *Most of it is
> not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>
> I make my own very potent ginger ale.

How do you carbonate it?

On Mar 5, 12:44*am, Andy > wrote:
> spamtrap1888 > wrote:
> >> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. ÿMost of it is
> >> not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>
> When in Australia, my boss introduced us to Bundaberg ginger beer. While
> not an overdose of ginger it wasn't filtered and cloudy too and not
> overly sweet. It was delicious and I'd get it whenever we came to a town.
> A meat pie and a couple Bundabergs was the routine.
>
> Trader Joe's sells an extra sharp Reed's brand ginger beer. A little too
> sweet, iirc. In a four pack of bottles.
>
> I don't know of any medicinal properties of ginger. For that it's Bud
> Light.
>

If you like some heat with your ginger ale, I suggest trying Blenheim,
from South Carolina. When I first had it, some 30 years ago, it was
available only in the Carolinas. Now you can order it online. But I
have a source within walking distance.

http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/products/

On Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:04:40 -0600, Andy > wrote:

>spamtrap1888 > wrote:
>
>> On Mar 5, 12:44*am, Andy > wrote:
>>> spamtrap1888 > wrote:
>>> >> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. ÿMost of it
>>> >> is not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>>>
>>> When in Australia, my boss introduced us to Bundaberg ginger beer.
>>> While not an overdose of ginger it wasn't filtered and cloudy too and
>>> not overly sweet. It was delicious and I'd get it whenever we came to
>>> a town. A meat pie and a couple Bundabergs was the routine.
>>>
>>> Trader Joe's sells an extra sharp Reed's brand ginger beer. A little
>>> too sweet, iirc. In a four pack of bottles.
>>>
>>> I don't know of any medicinal properties of ginger. For that it's Bud
>>> Light.
>>>
>>
>> If you like some heat with your ginger ale, I suggest trying Blenheim,
>> from South Carolina. When I first had it, some 30 years ago, it was
>> available only in the Carolinas. Now you can order it online. But I
>> have a source within walking distance.
>>
>> http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/products/
>
>
>I visited their URL.
>
>I'm not ready to commit to a case but I'll call around for it.
>
>The Blenheim shop has a 24-pack of Hot #3 for $25.00.
>
>Amazon is selling 12-packs for $29.00!!! The nerve!
>
>One question... is it chugable?
>
>Thanks for the FYI.
>
>Andy

Blenheim is a tiny village about a half hour drive from me, I almost
ended up living there until I discovered it's in a flood plain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim,_New_York
I would have been within sight of this bridge:
http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/ny/blenheim.html

On Mar 5, 10:16*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
> On Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:04:40 -0600, Andy > wrote:
> >spamtrap1888 > wrote:
>
> >> On Mar 5, 12:44*am, Andy > wrote:
> >>> spamtrap1888 > wrote:
> >>> >> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. ÿMost of it
> >>> >> is not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>
> >>> When in Australia, my boss introduced us to Bundaberg ginger beer.
> >>> While not an overdose of ginger it wasn't filtered and cloudy too and
> >>> not overly sweet. It was delicious and I'd get it whenever we came to
> >>> a town. A meat pie and a couple Bundabergs was the routine.
>
> >>> Trader Joe's sells an extra sharp Reed's brand ginger beer. A little
> >>> too sweet, iirc. In a four pack of bottles.
>
> >>> I don't know of any medicinal properties of ginger. For that it's Bud
> >>> Light.
>
> >> If you like some heat with your ginger ale, I suggest trying Blenheim,
> >> from South Carolina. When I first had it, some 30 years ago, it was
> >> available only in the Carolinas. Now you can order it online. But I
> >> have a source within walking distance.
>
> >>http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/products/
>
> >I visited their URL.
>
> >I'm not ready to commit to a case but I'll call around for it.
>
> >The Blenheim shop has a 24-pack of Hot #3 for $25.00.
>
> >Amazon is selling 12-packs for $29.00!!! The nerve!
>
> >One question... is it chugable?
>
> >Thanks for the FYI.
>
> >Andy
>
> Blenheim is a tiny village about a half hour drive from me, I almost
> ended up living there until I discovered it's in a flood plain.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim,_New_York
> I would have been within sight of this bridge:http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/ny/blenheim.html

Wow- that's an old bridge! For the US, at least!

merryb > wrote:

-snip-
>> Blenheim is a tiny village about a half hour drive from me, I almost
>> ended up living there until I discovered it's in a flood plain.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim,_New_York
>> I would have been within sight of this bridge:http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/ny/blenheim.html
>
>Wow- that's an old bridge! For the US, at least!

And now it's gone. In the 50's it was washed off it's abutments and
floated downstream a ways-- mostly intact. A lot of labor from folks
who just wanted it back got it done and gave it a facelift.

Last spring it got washed away in the Irene flood. I haven't seen
mentioned on the news if any of it re-appeared somewhere this time.
The villages above and below it suffered severe damage so news crews
haven't been chasing bridges.

Jim

merryb > wrote:

>On Mar 5, 10:16*am, Brooklyn1 <Gravesend1> wrote:
-snip-
>> >>http://www.blenheimgingerale.com/products/
>>

-snip-
>>
>> Blenheim is a tiny village about a half hour drive from me, I almost
>> ended up living there until I discovered it's in a flood plain.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blenheim,_New_York
>> I would have been within sight of this bridge:http://www.coveredbridgesite.com/ny/blenheim.html
>
>Wow- that's an old bridge! For the US, at least!

Just a FYI - the Blenheim Gingerale folks are in South Carolina-- the
covered bridge is in NY. [was wondering how they snuck a ginger ale
brewery into Schoharie county without me knowing]

Jim

On 3/4/2012 9:43 PM, Sqwertz wrote:
> On Sun, 04 Mar 2012 14:53:19 -0500, S Viemeister wrote:
>> On 3/4/2012 2:27 PM, sf wrote:
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Eating ginger while on a boat is a cure for seasickness. Well, that's what they say over here.
>>>
>>> I sincerely doubt it. Over here, it's supposed to cure sore throats.
>>> In reality, it does what a cough drop or other throat lozenge would do
>>> - provide temporary relief at best.
>>>
>> My obstetrician recommended flat ginger ale for me, when I was suffering
>> from nausea after an emergency C-section - it worked.
>
> Finding real ginger ale is nearly impossible anymore. Most of it is
> not made from ginger, even the ones that say "natural flavor".
>
This was many years ago.

> I make my own very potent ginger ale.
>
Recipe?