Non-Alcoholic Brewing

Not all yeasty beverages have alcohol. You can stop the brewing process by chilling the bottle, and keeping it cold. The following are recipes that I've used to make homemade sodas. No, not period, but still pretty darn tasty. 

Note: For all of these, you'll need a clean, plastic 2-liter bottle with a tightly fitting lid. Do NOT use glass bottles unless they're champagne-quality bottles with corks and wire covers.

Ginger Beer

Juice of two large lemons

2" ginger, peeled and chopped

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon yeast

Put all of the ingredients except the yeast together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until it reduces by half. Turn the heat off and let steep for another 10-15 minutes. Strain into a bottle. Top off with enough cold water to fill all but the top two inches of the bottle. Cap and mix. Pour half a cup of the mixture into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of yeast in the bowl. Let sit for 12-15 minutes, or until the yeast gets bubbly. Add to the bottle, cap tightly, and let sit for 24-48 hours. You'll know it's done when you push a thumb into the bottle and the bottle doesn't give at all. Refrigerate the bottle until cold, and enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Soda

2 cups apple cider

4 3" cinnamon sticks

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon yeast

Follow the same instructions as for Ginger Beer.

Raspberry Soda

2 cups frozen raspberry

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 teaspoon yeast

Put all of the ingredients except the yeast together in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until it reduces by half. Turn the heat off and let cool for another 10-15 minutes. Line a strainer with cheese cloth and place over a bowl. Pour the syrup into the strainer, using the back of a spoon to mash the pulp to get  as much of the juice as you can. Pour the syrup into a bottle. Top off with enough cold water to fill all but the top two inches of the bottle. Cap and mix. Pour half a cup of the mixture into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of yeast in the bowl. Let sit for 12-15 minutes, or until the yeast gets bubbly. Add to the bottle, cap tightly, and let sit for 24-48 hours. You'll know it's done when you push a thumb into the bottle and the bottle doesn't give at all. Refrigerate the bottle until cold, and enjoy!

Sparkling Apple Cider

2 cups apple cider

4 3" sticks of cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar

6 cups apple cider

1/4 teaspoon yeast

Put the first three ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until it reduces by half. Turn the heat off and let boil for another 10-15 minutes. Strain into a bottle. Add the rest of the apple cider to the bottle to within the top two inches of the bottle. Cap and mix. Pour half a cup of the mixture into a bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of yeast in the bowl. Let sit for 12-15 minutes, or until the yeast gets bubbly. Add to the bottle, cap tightly, and let sit for 24-48 hours. You'll know it's done when you push a thumb into the bottle and the bottle doesn't give at all. Refrigerate the bottle until cold, and enjoy!