Drink: Quick Ginger Beer

Recipe by Virginia Burke This is the easy way to make ginger beer, where the ginger is simply soaked — just slightly fermented — for 24 hours (another method requires up to a five-day fermentation). Ginger beer is one of Jamaica's most popular soft drink

Ingredients

6 cups water
1 pound fresh ginger, peeled, coarsely chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar or white sugar
Crushed ice
1 lime, cut into 6 to 8 wedges

Instructions

Bring 6 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Finely chop ginger in processor. Transfer chopped ginger to large glass or ceramic bowl; add boiling water and stir to blend. Cover loosely with foil; let ginger mixture stand at cool room temperature 24 hours.
Strain ginger liquid into large pitcher; discard solids in strainer. Add sugar to liquid and stir until sugar dissolves. Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour ginger beer over ice. Serve each glass of ginger beer with lime wedge to squeeze over.