Ginger Beer Vs. Ginger Ale: What’s the Difference?

Ginger ales tend to have a much more delicate flavor profile than ginger beers. To make ginger ale at home, you need little more than a ginger-flavored simple syrup and carbonated water. Variations lie in how that syrup gets made: Some recipes call for adding fresh ginger root or pressed ginger juice when simmering water and sugar. Others, including Fever-Tree (yes, they make both ginger ale and ginger beer), mix in essential oils extracted from fresh ginger. Some commercial brands swap in “natural flavors,” a byproduct the FDA defines as “essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from […] root, leaf, or similar plant material…”

Is ginger ale or ginger beer better for an upset stomach?

If you’re like me, your exposure to fizzy ginger drinks started with ginger ale, offered as a tonic for stomach bugs, car rides, and in flight. While ginger root boasts nausea-relieving properties, not all ginger beverages are made with real ginger, so mileage may vary by brand (although the placebo effect might help, no matter which you drink).

If you’re shopping for a ginger soda to settle an upset stomach, be sure to read the ingredients list. Sweatman says that ginger ales tend to be more processed, noting that the syrup-boiling process can deteriorate the nutrients in fresh ginger. In a hurry? Choose ginger beer, which is more likely to use fresh ginger in the brewing process and is, thus, better suited to relieve nausea or an upset stomach.

Should I use ginger ale or ginger beer in my cocktails?

Set the scene: It’s cocktail hour, and you’re bartending. Where does ginger come into play?

“I tend to have a ginger cocktail on every menu,” says Michael Lay, beverage director of Michael Mina’s restaurant group, “It’s one of my favorite flavors.” Lay finds ginger especially complementary to whiskey, which has comparable spice notes (consider how the flavor plays off peaty scotch in a classic Penicillin cocktail, for example). But vodka, gin, light or dark rum, tequila, and mezcal also work well (see any Moscow mule variation as proof). If you want to get creative, Lay says, “Tropical flavors—like citrus, pineapple, and guava—all benefit from ginger flavor.”

As to whether you should use ginger beer or ginger ale in your home bar: to echo a meme, why not have both? “I’ve always thought of ginger ale as a carbonated syrup and ginger beer as something way more spicy and ginger-forward,” Lay says.

The cooked ginger flavor typical of ginger ale tends to have a softer edge; meanwhile, the stronger flavor of cold-pressed ginger juice “is really concentrated,” says Sweatman, who uses it as the base for his ginger beer: “You could barely handle a spoonful of it.” Mixing ginger beer into your cocktail will give it a spicy kick with a bold ginger backbone strong enough to dominate the drink. Ginger ale brings more sweetness and, usually, a more delicate ginger flavor that takes a backseat to the drink’s other elements, as in a Horse’s Neck or Pimm’s Cup.

Can I substitute ginger ale for ginger beer?

The short answer: No. But it’s your drink, so you should really do as you please. Messing with the sweetness of a cocktail is the fastest way to throw off the flavors of the drink, and ginger ale tends to be much sweeter than ginger beer. Conversely, ginger beer brings boldness to a drink that may not work well with more delicate flavors.