Raw honey and real ginger unite to create a refreshing fermented ginger ale that will make you feel good while improving your gut health. This honey ginger ale is also wonderful for upset bellies and the cold and flu season.

Homemade Ginger Ale Recipe

A tall glass of ice cold soda is appealing to many. Especially when that drink comes in fancy, eye-catching packaging and is easy to grab from the fridge, pop it open and satisfy your craving.

The downside is so many of these flavored drinks and sodas are full of questionable ingredients. Artificial flavoring. High fructose corn syrup. And caramel coloring, to name a few.

Thankfully there are many homemade alternatives that are much more healthy and able to keep you hydrated on the busiest of days.

If you’ve been following WholeMade Homestead for long, you probably are aware of my love for fermented food. Flavored drinks are no different. They must be good for gut health while still being delicious. While water kefir and kombucha are great choices, my go-to is usually whey soda. In fact, I have an entire eBook dedicated to teaching how to make whey soda.

Most times I make whey soda in the summer — everything from orange cream soda to honey lemonade. But this winter, I wanted to share our new family favorite, fermented ginger ale. A glass of ginger ale soda is refreshing, hydrating and includes only real ingredients to help promote a healthy microbiome.

Plus, I am loving that it can be used as a natural tonic for boosting immunity, settling an upset stomach and supporting your body during a nasty cold.

How Do You Make Probiotic Soda at Home?

To make a homemade fermented soda, you will need a starter culture in the form of whey, water kefir grains or a scoby from a drink such as kombucha. When added along with juice, sugar, herbs or other flavorings, within a few days you can create a delicious lacto-fermented soda that helps to improve the health of your digestive system. In the recipe below, you will find that the fermented ginger ale uses whey to culture the beverage.

Tools You May Need

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. In any case, I only link to products we actually use on our homestead and that I believe can truly benefit to you. See my full disclosure here. 

• High-quality, thick glass bottle meant for brewing such as a Grolsch bottle or a recycled kombucha bottle
• Coffee filter or cheesecloth
• Fine mesh strainer
• Airtight half gallon glass container, such as clear glass jug or mason jar

Is Fermented Soda Good for You?

Fermented ginger ale sweetened with raw honey is an excellent drink for soothing digestive problems, boosting your immune system and quenching your thirst. Here are a few other homemade ginger ale benefits:

• Ginger whey soda contains only 5 simple ingredients
• Much healthier alternative compared to conventional ginger ale
• Ginger ale is a common tonic that may help settle an upset stomach and treat nausea, indigestion and cold and flu symptoms
• This whey soda recipe is full of probiotics, aiding in good gut health
• A probiotic drink full of valuable minerals, enzymes, healthy acids and yeasts
• Made with raw honey that contains prebiotics, antioxidants and other beneficial vitamins and minerals

5 Benefits of Honey

When honey has not been heated, filtered or pasteurized, it can contain numerous health benefits. Here are a few reasons you’ll love this lacto-fermented ginger ale made with raw honey.

• Raw honey includes lots of minerals, amino acids and at least 5000 enzymes (see source).
• It is packed full of antioxidants.
• Just one teaspoon can help relieve a sore throat and reduce coughing.
• Reduces inflammation making it a great way to treat respiratory troubles.
• Due to its anti-viral properties, it a wonderful way to improve your immune system if you have been exposed to a bug.

For more information about the health benefits of honey, check out the National Library of Medicine.

Ginger Ale Recipe

Rich in minerals, enzymes and healthy acids, contains probiotics and made with raw honey and real ginger, fermented ginger ale is a terrific homemade soda to help support the gut and boost your immune system. Print out the best homemade ginger ale recipe below.

Makes: 1 half gallon

Ingredients

For Ginger Syrup

1/2 cup fresh ginger, diced
1/4 cup raw honey
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Soda

1/4 cup ginger syrup
6 3/4 cups water
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 cup whey

Directions

For syrup: Combine chopped ginger, honey and water in a small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 18-20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Using a fine mesh strainer set over a measuring cup or bowl, remove pieces of ginger. Stir in vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature before mixing with the rest of the whey soda ingredients. 

For soda: In a saucepan gently heat 3 cups of water and honey until combined. Do not exceed 110° F or you may begin to destroy some of the beneficial properties of the honey. Set aside and cool to room temperature before adding the whey and ginger syrup.

In a half gallon glass jug or airtight glass jar, add the remaining 3 3/4 cups of water, whey, ginger ale syrup and cooled honey mixture. Seal the jar with a tight lid and allow to ferment for 2 to 6 days, depending on the temperature of the room.

When the ginger soda has finished fermenting, it should be bubbly. Place the liquid directly into the fridge to chill or transfer to airtight bottles such as a Grolsch flip-top bottle. Serve cold or over ice. Consume within one to two weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Best Place to Make Fermented Ginger Ale?

Homemade healthy ginger ale loves to ferment in a warm spot! During the summer when I create probiotic sodas, I leave the bottle(s) on the counter in our kitchen where it is regularly 75-80° F. When the weather turns cold in the fall and winter months, the temperature in our home is much cooler, approximately 65° F. The cooler temperature slows down the speed of fermentation quite a bit. To keep the fermented soda happy, I suggest placing the bottles in a warm place in your home such as in the kitchen or near a wood stove. Sometimes I’ve even used a seedling heating pad to keep the whey inside the soda happy.

What if My Soda Isn’t Fizzy?

If you used fresh whey and fermented the homemade soda in a warm place, the ginger whey soda may just need more time to ferment. After the initial 2-6 days of fermentation, second ferment the ginger ale by transferring the liquid to an airtight Grolsch bottle and fermenting for an additional 1-2 days.

More Probiotic Food Recipes

Fermented Honey Lemonade

How to Make Milk Kefir

Probiotic Frappe

Cranberry Orange Soda

Best Probiotic Smoothie Recipes

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