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Drink

Gemberbier

A fermented ginger beverage made with ginger, water, citric acid, cloves, pimento, almond essence, and sugar.

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Why it works: Ginger and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,038 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Gemberbier

Timesome 4 hours

Ingredients

Directions

Make the ginger infusion

  1. Add the hot water (90°) to the grated ginger.

  2. Add all the ingredients except the essence.

  3. Let stand for some 4 hours and sift.

Flavour and serve

  1. Add the almond essence to taste.

  2. If the flavor is too intense, add some more water.

  3. Chill and serve cold!

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

65Calories
0 gProtein
1 gFat
15 gCarbs

Counts 4 of 6 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 4 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Almond1 almond (1.2g)7
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Waternot in our table0
Pimentonot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Ginger + clovetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,038 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  2. Clove + almondtop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,605 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  3. Ginger + almondtop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,163 recipes

    Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

  4. Ginger + sugartop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together14,054 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).

  5. Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,679 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).

Ginger and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 14,054 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Ginger
Provides the main sharp, spicy flavour and aroma of the drink.
Sugar
Adds sweetness and body, balancing the sharpness of the ginger and citric acid.
Citric acid
Adds tartness that brightens the flavour and balances the sugar.
Clove
Adds warm, aromatic spice notes to the overall flavour.
Pimento
Adds warm, aromatic spice notes that round out the flavour.
Almond essence
Adds a concentrated aroma that is noticeable even in small amounts.

The step that matters

Add the almond essence to taste. Essences are highly concentrated, so a small excess can overpower the ginger and spices. Adding it gradually and tasting between additions keeps the flavour balanced.

Swap the almond

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ginger, clove, sugar):

  1. Chickpeafits better
  2. Cashew nutfits better
  3. Chestnutfits better
  4. Almondthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against ginger, clove, sugar. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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