~176 cal · 1g protein · 45g carbs · 0g fat (estimated, per serving)
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Glass of cloudy homemade ginger beer
🇧🇼 Gaborone
Homemade ginger beer is a fixture at Botswana celebrations, brewed in big buckets days before a wedding or Christmas. Grated ginger, sugar, and lemon ferment with a little yeast into a spicy, lightly fizzy drink far bolder than anything bottled — served ice-cold to a crowd.
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Make it yours
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
Ingredients
Serves 8 —
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1 cup fresh ginger, grated
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1.5 cups sugar
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10 cups water
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2 lemon
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1 tsp active dry yeast
Instructions
1
Boil half the water with the grated ginger and sugar, then simmer 10 minutes and cool to lukewarm.
2
Stir in the remaining cool water, the lemon juice, and the yeast.
3
Cover loosely and leave in a warm place 1–2 days until fizzy and sharp, tasting as it goes.
4
Strain, chill hard, and serve very cold (open carefully — it builds pressure).
Botswana celebration tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination
📍
Gaborone. Where seswaa is pounded soft for every celebration.
🗺️
Botswana. Cattle country where patience is the main seasoning.
🌍
Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.
The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.
👩🍳
Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker
Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →
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