Ginger Beer

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 2 quarts cold water, divided
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon dried champagne yeast

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, ginger, and 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring it up to a boil, stirring as it heats so the sugar dissolves. Take the pan off the heat, cover it, and let the mixture sit for 1 hour to steep.
2. Pour the syrup through a strainer and funnel it into a 2-liter soda bottle. Add the lime juice. Pour in cold water until the liquid is within 2 inches of the top, then cap the bottle and chill it in the refrigerator or an ice bath until it is about 65 degrees F.
3. Add 1/4 teaspoon champagne yeast. Save the remaining yeast for the next batch. Cap the bottle and leave it at room temperature for about 2 days; every so often, check the pressure by squeezing the bottle or briefly loosening the cap.
4. Once the ginger beer is carbonated to your liking, put it in the refrigerator. Serve and enjoy.