Ginger Beer(Cameroon)

Called Bière de Gingembre, this is a traditional Cameroonian recipe for a classic drink of pounded ginger and pineapple thats soaked in water and which is sweetened with treacle (molasses) lightly fermented over night and bottled. You can quarter the recipe, using 1/4 pound ginger, 1/2 pineapple, 1 quart water, and about 3/4 cup plus 1/8 cup molasses. This would make about a quart.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Yields: 1 gallon

Ingredients

• 1  lb fresh ginger, pounded in a mortar
• 2  ripe pineapple (unpeeled)
• 1  gallon boiling water
• 3 1⁄2 cups molasses (black treacle)

Directions

1. Slice the pineapple (do not peel) and pound in a large mortar with the ginger(I use the food processor). Place in a large pot then pour over the boiling water. Set the mixture aside to cool.
2. Once the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, cover with a clean cloth and set aside to activate over night. The following day, strain the mixture, stir in the molasses until dissolved then turn into a pitcher or a bottle, chill in the refrigerator and serve.
3. You can sweeten further with sugar, if desired and add more ginger, to taste. If the ginger beer is too strong then it can be diluted with either plain or sparkling water before serving.