South AfricanOur South African Table

South African Ginger Beer

A fizzy, fiery, traditional South African fermented drink infused with fresh ginger and naturally carbonated using the classic raisin trick.

South African ginger beer—the fizzy, festive drink that tastes like sunshine, Christmas, and childhood memories! There's nothing quite like a fresh, homemade batch. This traditional two-part recipe uses a quick ginger bug starter made with fresh unpeeled organic ginger and yeast, fermented for 24–48 hours in swing-top bottles with raisins. As the raisins float to the top, you know your natural, bubbly ginger beer is ready to chill and enjoy!

By Ivana Sanshia · Updated Sep 2026

South African Ginger Beer, a South African recipe
Prep25 min
Fermenting2 days
Total25 min
Serves2 litres
LevelMedium
Watch on Instagram

Before you start

Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.

Method

  1. 1

    Make the Ginger Bug Starter

    In a large jug or bowl, combine 2 litres of lukewarm water and 200 g sugar, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

  2. 2

    Sprinkle 2 g instant dry yeast into the sugar water and stir gently to combine.

  3. 3

    Blitz 30–40 g fresh unpeeled organic ginger in a food processor or blender until finely minced, then add it directly into the jug.

The rest of this recipe

There’s 2 more ingredients and 8 more steps to go.

Start 7 days free and the rest of South African Ginger Beer opens in full.

  • Every recipe in full, this one included
  • One shopping list across everything you’re cooking
  • Servings that scale, and cups instead of grams
  • Ask Chef Ivana Sanshia a question on any recipe
Start 7 days free

A payment method is collected at checkout. Your 7 days are free; cancel before they’re up and you’re not charged. After that your plan renews automatically until you cancel, which takes two clicks in your account.

Ivana Sanshia’s note

Using unpeeled organic ginger is the traditional secret! The skin holds natural wild yeasts that work alongside the added yeast to create that authentic, fiery, deep South African flavour profile.

Club

Ask Chef Ivana Sanshia

If you have any questions, ask, and Ivana Sanshia replies to you personally. No Bots, No AI.

Filed under

BeveragesVegetarianVeganSummer

Picked by Ivana Sanshia

Other dishes you might like

All recipes →

Hand-picked to round out the meal, or simply to cook next.