Food

Fermented ginger beer with punch and a pleasing tang

Shelf Help: Zingibeer is an Irish-made drink that goes down great with Thai green curry and gives a slick twist to cocktails

Zingibeer, an alcoholic ginger beer made in Dublin.

Marie Claire Digby's face
Marie Claire Digby
Tue Mar 7 2023 - 05:00

What is it? Zingibeer, an Irish-made fermented ginger beer made with root ginger, lemon zest and botanicals (€3.99, 500ml)

What’s good about it? It’s an Irish product, made in Smithfield, Dublin 7, by a family-run business. But watch out, this isn’t the sort of ginger beer enjoyed by the kids in Enid Blyton novels, this one packs a punch at 4 per cent abv. The cloudy grey drink, best served chilled, is effervescent, tangy and mildly spicy. A squeeze of lime accentuates the ginger flavour. “We are not beer, flavoured with ginger, but rather fermented ginger with a twist of lemon zest and a hint of botanicals,” the makers say, lest there be any confusion.

How do I use it? I drank it solo, over ice, and it made a perfect match for a Thai green curry. “It is great in cocktails, the obvious one being a Moscow Mule, but ginger works very well with whiskey and gin as well,” says a friend. I also tried it with dark rum and lime, and it made a tasty and not-too-sweet Dark and Stormy. I also added some sparkling water to dilute the double alcohol kick.

Where can I buy it? It is available in branches of SuperValu and Tesco, O’Briens and select independent off-licences nationwide.

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Anything else? Zingibeer was created by father and daughter Kevin and Rachel Byrne. Kevin is a food science graduate who worked in food manufacturing and hospitality before turning his interest in home brewing into a business during the pandemic. Rachel left a career in banking to work full-time in the company, focusing on branding and marketing.

[ Shelf Help: This plant-based product is a low-sugar alternative to other sweeteners ]

Send your Shelf Help product suggestions to marieclaire.digby@irishtimes.com

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