This is the true traditional Jamaican Ginger Beer recipe . Ginger Beer is the established, proper name for the drink, regardless of whether it is fizzy or not. Traditional Jamaican homemade ginger beer is not a soda, and it is not fizzy. The name of a traditional item is not determined by its chemistry (like the presence of CO₂ or alcohol), but by its history and cultural significance within the community. Ginger Beer and Sorrel Drink were traditionally Jamaican Christmas beverages, along with Rum Punch. However, somewhere along the line, Ginger Beer faded out, leaving Sorrel and Rum Punch as the main two. Growing up, during the Christmas season, my mother would buy a large bag of ginger maybe about 20 lbs. directly from the farmer. We would sit down for hours washing the ginger because of the dirt. Then we would lightly peel it because, according to my mother, the skin has yeast, which helps the ginger beer taste good; therefore, she didn’t want all the skin removed. Adding lime j...