GINGER BEER and ROOT BEER HERITAGE by Donald Yates
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14 Spring 2003 Bottles and Extras GINGER BEER and ROOT BEER HERITAGE by Donald Yates Ginger beer was probably the most per- into stoneware bottles fect small beer, similar in taste to the best of superior quality. In champagne, with sparkling effervescence. 1835, England The Jamaica ginger gave it both exquisite developed a superior flavor and pungency. The yeast used in glazing process called brewing, also added special Improved Bristol character. Glaze. After filling, The soda fountain era occurred from these bottles were corked and wired to in small quantities for use by taverns or about 1875 to 1950. The soda fountain was maintain the pressure. This kept the families. Its popularity lossomed after the a perfect place for meeting, for dates, and alcohol and carbon dioxide in solution, Civil War, when it was produced just happy times. Even the poor could both of which acted as preservatives, commercially in larger quantities, and afford a treat. allowing for a long shelf life. transported to new markets. The most In the 1905 “Soda Water Dispenser The principal predecessors of Ginger popular region for ginger beer was Guide” one can find hundreds of recipes Beer were Mead & Metheglin, which date Western New York State, especially for the soda fountain. There were nation- back to the early 1600’s in Colonial Syracuse and Buffalo. Ginger Beer wide challenges to make more breweries flourished along the exotic drinks and sundaes. One Erie Canal due to convenient may not have heard of a new transportation and availability cherry punch called “Gunther’s of raw materials for the stone- Excelsior”, or "Hot Checkerberry ware and ginger beer. Ginger Root Beer." Another popular beer was brewed in smaller reason to go to the soda fountain quantities in twenty other or drug store, was to celebrate states. birthdays. Naturally fermented Ginger Beer has an exquisite taste GINGER BEER which could never be achieved by the carbonation process. Although Ginger Beer This observation was made in originated in England, in the mid England in 1899, and is still 1700’s, its ancestry in North true today. Instead of using an America came from a logical essence or extract, used in the development. It can be traced to carbonation process, fermented around 1790 in Canada & the Ginger Beer would include USA, which was shortly after its fresh Jamaica ginger root, fresh beginning in England. A lemons, and special brewer’s significant portion of the American America. Metheglin was a naturally yeast. This process resulted in a superior Ginger Beer was imported by ship from carbonated, yeast-fermented honey brewed beverage, possibly unequalled in England. It was imported throughout the beverage, which often included spices, its zesty taste. The yeast also added a 1800’s in greater quantities, even though such as ginger, cloves, and mace. It was special flavor and character, similar to it was being brewed regionally for a one of the most popular and longest tasting a slice of home-baked bread. growing market. surviving beverages from the early Ginger Beer’s popularity in the USA One of the reasons that England could colonial days. hit its peak in 1920, when it was abruptly export ginger beer was because it was put Ginger Beer also included special yeast terminated by Prohibition. Over half of the for fermentation, and states never had a chance to bottle Ginger was sweetened with Beer. In England and Canada, the honey, molasses, or popularity peak occurred in 1935, fifteen cane sugar. Other years later. The USA had 300 Ginger Beer ingredients included breweries; Canada had over 1000; and fresh whole ginger England had 3000. Ginger Beer was the and lemons or lemon favorite drink of England for over 150 juice. After brewing, years. the Ginger Beer was Up through the mid 1800’s, many poured into stone Ginge Beers contained a significant bottles, then corked to amount of alcohol, about 11%. maintain the natural Limitations in England, as a result of the effervescence. Excise Act of 1855, required that non- Early Ginger Beer excisable beverages contain less than 2% was produced locally alcohol, which led bottlers of Ginger Beer Bottles and Extras Spring 2003 15 high speed filling machines were for the last two centuries, was principally widely available at that time, made from a handful of major ingredients. which quickly made stoneware Early Root Beer was made using hand- bottles obsolete. Canada and picked natural ingredients. England continued using stone- Local pharmacists experimented with ware bottles until 1940. different quantities of various flavorings, By this time, in the 1920s some including spices and essential oils. These of the major potteries were formulations were later packaged as a experiencing difficulties, such as concentrated extract. These could be used depleting supplies of raw to obtain anexcellent product, with some materials, or natural gas. level of quality control and consistency. Only high quality clay could be Most of the spices and flavoring plants used for making stone bottles, and used in Root Beer extracts, were processed it was often shipped long distances into essential oils. A three-ounce bottle of to the potteries, after their local extract had the power to make five supply was exhausted. Enormous gallons of Root Beer – about 50 bottles. quantities of fuel or natural gas were used during firing of the SPICES to dilute their brewed concentrates kilns, which lasted six to seven days for (ginger, licorice, hops, cloves, gentian, each batch. Spices are the dried parts of various sugar, caramel, brewer’s yeast, & citric This ended the era of decorated plants, grown for their pungent and acid) with carbonated water. Ginger Beer transfer Ginger Beer bottles. After aromatic attributes. These have been used differed from ginger ale in that it had a Prohibition ended in 1933, Ginger Beer for centuries to make bland food more higher gravity and a greater portion of exciting. Spices are the pungent parts extractive vegetable matter. of tropical plants. These parts may in- Ginger Beer was usually cloudy in clude rhizomes (under ground stems), appearance, and for this reason was bulbs, barks, flower buds, stigmas, usually bottled in stone bottles. fruit, seeds, and leaves. Ginger ale, on the other hand, was Spices were highly valued in sparkling clear and often contained ancient times, and they found capsicum (extract from cayenne extensive experimentation and use in pepper), which increased the pungency preparing medicines and preserving of the beverage. foods. The early primitive type of stone- Spices have been used over the years ware Ginger Beer bottle was used from as adjuncts in cooking to improve the 1790 through 1890, and the transfer flavor and piquancy of foods. Many type stone bottles were used from 1885 spices have also been used extensively through 1920. The primitive stone to flavor beverages throughout the bottles were usually quart size, usually world; from a simple hot spicy ginger impressed with a family name rather tonic in the Philippines, to England’s than a company name. They were used Wassail Mead, enjoyed for centuries by for home brewing small batches of the Royal Family and other noblemen, Ginger Beer or other beverages for the was revived again, but unfortunately only as well as by ordinary folk. family or a few neighbors. in glass crown-top bottles; and it was a Christmas was taken seriously, since it In England, the under-glaze carbonated soft drink of marginal lasted for seven days, and provided such a transfers came into general use a little character. It had to face the strong great psychological benefit. earlier, around 1880, as they faced competition from Coca-Cola, which was considerable competition from ornately rapidly becoming embossed glass bottles. The transfer type America’s favorite bottles were smaller, about 9-ounces. They soft drink. Today, used a Bristol Glaze which could Ginger Beer is only a accommodate the stamped transfer. memory in the taste The popularity of Ginger Beer was buds of bottle abruptly stopped in 1920 with the passage historians. of the Prohibition Laws. This event opened up the markets for soft drinks, including Aromatic Flavors ginger ale, root beer, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, of Root Beer, and many others. The demise of Ginger Spices and Beer would have occurred even without Essential Oils the severity of Prohibition. The stone bottles were returned to the bottlers for That thirst sterilization and refilling, however, the quenching, popular inside of the pottery could not be inspected beverage named Root for mice and contamination. High speed Beer, enjoyed by glass bottle making machines as well as children and adults 16 Spring 2003 Bottles and Extras compounds. Essential oils are the dioxide, and alcohol, both of which acted ethereal fraction obtained from a as preservatives. One of the primary plant by physical extraction. The reasons for using stone bottles, was that physical method requires they were stronger and would not explode distillation or pressing. These oils during the secondary fermentation. The are taken from the odorous part of bottles were more massive than glass, and the plant, and have traditionally when cooled with ice, the Root Beer would been associated with the fragrance remain colder for a longer time. and flavor industry. Since most Dr. Alvin Chase's 1869 recipe book had essential oils frequently occur as a Root Beer recipe which included: hops, a very small percentage of the burdock, dandelion, sarsaparilla, and original plant material, the spikenard; plus yeast and molasses. processing of large volumes is usually required to obtain usable ROOT BEER IS ROOT BEER quantities of oil. Solvent extraction frequently Young children understand all of the yields various quantities of organic basic flavors of pop: ginger ale, Coke, materials, including waxes, fats, Pepsi, orange, 7-UP, etc., but Root Beer SPICE TRADE HISTORY acids, and pigments.