Fresh ginger, lime, sugar & sparkling water — homemade, fiercely spiced
Ginger beer was born in England in the 1700s, brought to Jamaica by British colonists, and promptly taken over by the Jamaicans who made it fiercer, more gingery, and more alive. Blenheim Ginger Ale, a South Carolina institution, is the closest commercial equivalent to what a Jamaican grandmother would make at home.
The ginger syrup can be stored in the fridge for 2 weeks. The heat intensity depends entirely on the ginger — younger ginger is milder, older ginger is fiercer. For a homemade 'fermented' version without actual fermentation, add a small pinch of cream of tartar to the syrup, which mimics the sourness.