Vernors recipe??

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soccerdude71 said:
Anyone know of a recipe for this gingery soda?

I'm interested also. Oh, and as a side note, I've never heard Vernors called soda since most in Michigan call soda "pop."
 
WEEEEELLLL lol.... I am originally from Detroit. I moved to Los Angeles in '89 and now I call it soda, but pop is fine too!!!
 
Anyone know of a recipe for this gingery soda?

I haven't got a recipe, but I do know that Vernors ages their soda (wort?) in wooden barrels, most likely oak. Not sure if they're toasted or not & if so, to what degree. Thought those tidbits of info might be useful.
Regards, GF.
 
Found this link on the web. Not sure of it's authenticity. Will leave that up to you - along with the conversion to bottle or keg.

Don't let the link name fool you...a Vernors recipe is there along with some Vernors history.

A Rich, Deliciously Satisfying Collection of Breakfast Recipes - Janet Sue Terry - Google Books

Couldn't get it to print, so if you have the time to transcribe here or create in a new document, that would be great.

I have some college course material that is taking precedent over me doing it myself.
 
That one seems fairly typical to the regular ginger ale recipes we've had, except for the inclusion of vanilla. All of serious eats articles I had read had described the vanilla scent and flavor so that makes sense.

While I don't know if I could include stevia in the original recipe, I'd consider the oak or wood addition as in the original recipe. I'd consider using an oak extract as that imparts vanillian, instead of the vanilla bean.
 
Thanks for the updates!

Kevin, is there a way to replicate the flavorings of an oak barrel?? do you think the extract would work?
 
It's a good question. I would think so, but I don't know. I'd probably want to try a side by side comparison at some point. Maybe soak some oak with vodka to make the extract and add a drop to see if it makes a difference.

It's still easier to try the vanilla extract first though, it's easier to get at any location.

I'm also wondering about the more mellow "aged" flavor in comparision vs the fresh sharp flavor in a ginger beer and how to achieve the desired effect.
 
Yup, we do it all the time in brewing to emulate an oak barrel. I'm not sure how pop is made, but if there is a time where you can soak the chips for awhile you could use the chips. There are different types and toast levels of the chips available and flavor would depend on the type used, the amount used, and how long you soak them.another option that I've seen is the liquid oak essence which would be easier to use, but real oak might taste a little better.
 
That's the problem. The original vernors syrup was aged in wood. I don't know if I'd be willing to take that time though.

Personally, I'll probably soak them in some high proof alcohol to extract the oak essence and use a scant few drops for flavoring in addition to vanilla bean.

Could do a side by side test then. I'm just trying to figure out where the difference between mellow ginger and sharp ginger flavors divide. I suppose I could use less ginger than I do normally.
 
Yeah, the extract would give you a lot more control over the recipe. They do sell the extract if time is an issue and you don't have enough to soak the chips in vodka. I'm sure it would be a little cheaper also. I made a brew that I wanted to have a whiskey barrel flavor to it, I soaked some medium toast oak chips in some crown for a week. I saved the crown, it is like drinking a tree now heh.
 
Hi all,

As a Vernor's lover, I wanted to tag along and also throw in my .02.

I have always described Vernor's as a cross between ginger ale and cream soda, but with an extra "kick", so I wonder if using some mix of cream soda and ginger ale bases would approximate Vernor's or at least be a starting point from which to tweak your way to a good clone.

Also, as far as the oak aging question goes, my LHS stocks oak spirals. They come in both french and american and both come in a variety of toasts. You can break the spirals to use less or more and also vary the amount of contact time, tasting every few days and removing the spirals when you get the right amount of oak character.

My hunch is that you would want the lightest toast in american oak.

Adam
 
I recently (well, a bit over a month ago, now) saw Alton Brown's show on ginger and made his version of ginger ale. That got me to thinking about Vernors because I grew up with it and love it. I wondered if I could recreate (or come close) to the original recipe...

Well, I've got a recipe that I think tastes great. I've currently got a batch of the syrup aging in a bottle with a piece of charred oak. It's two weeks old and getting better all the time. The latest sample I tried certainly speaks well to Vernors old slogan, "Deliciously Different!" Anyone still interested in a ginger ale recipe?
 
All these things mentioned are subtleties that don't explain the huge kick that is vernors main trademark. I strongly suspect they take the usual cheaters approach such as Caribbean ginger ale, in the form of pepper. You can't put just natural ginger in a can for a long time and have much bite survive.
 
Here it is:

Ginger Ale
September 11, 2013 at 2:49am

Rebecca Putman
An attempt to re-create Vernor's


Ingredients:

2 C sugar
6 oz grated ginger
1 C water
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp whole allspice
4 Tbs real maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs honey
3 Tbs vanilla extract
2 pieces charred oak, to fit the aging container

Directions:

Heat the sugar, ginger, water, peppercorns, allspice, maple syrup, and lemon juice over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat then cover and let steep for one hour.

Strain the extract through a strainer with some cheesecloth into the aging container. Discard the solids in the strainer. Add the honey, and vanilla and stir to combine. Place charred oak into the bowl and cover. Let stand for at least one week; the longer you age, the smoother and more mellow it gets. (Alternative: get a real, small oak barrel that's been charred inside and use that for aging/storage.)

Place 2-3 tablespoons of the syrup into a glass and add one cup of seltzer. Top with ice and enjoy. Store the unused syrup in the aging barrel. Don't refrigerate it as that will slow the aging process. The syrup won't ferment because there will be too strong a concentration of sugars.
 
Rebecca,

Thanks for sharing your recipe. I was confused when you mentioned "syrup" earlier in the thread. I will be extrapolating your recipe out to a 5 gallon batch to be kegged & force carbonated. I'll report back the results.

Thanks!

Adam
 
Rebecca,

Thanks for sharing your recipe. I was confused when you mentioned "syrup" earlier in the thread. I will be extrapolating your recipe out to a 5 gallon batch to be kegged & force carbonated. I'll report back the results.

Thanks!

Adam

My recipe makes a syrup for making drinks from. I don't believe you're going to want to force carbonate the syrup.

I would also recommend making a small batch to start; making five gallons and deciding you hate it seems a waste of ingredients, time, and money.
 
Becca58 said:
My recipe makes a syrup for making drinks from. I don't believe you're going to want to force carbonate the syrup. I would also recommend making a small batch to start; making five gallons and deciding you hate it seems a waste of ingredients, time, and money.

Rebecca,

I meant that I would make a 5 gallon batch of prepared soda based on your recipe and force carbonate that.

Adam
 
Rebecca,

I meant that I would make a 5 gallon batch of prepared soda based on your recipe and force carbonate that.

Adam

Ah, okay. I still don't think making a 5 gallon batch to start with is how I'd go. I'd make a small batch first to see if I even like it. Why? Because your tastes are probably different from mine. Just sayin'.
 
I just made a new batch, doubling the above recipe. Too much lemon taste. Though that will mellow as it matures with the oak, I still am not happy with that part of this recipe.
 
Thanks for the recipe. I'll give it a shot hopefully this weekend. Do you think the lemon oil is necessary?

Y'know, I'm not entirely sure. Several of my ingredients come from researching old Dublin recipes for ginger ale, along with tasting Vernor's and just working things out that way. The old Dublin recipes tend to call for both lemon juice and lemon oil. Frankly, I think this recipe has too much lemon in it; I'm thinking cut it by 1/3 to 1/2. As for the oil... hmmm. I'm not convinced, but I've bought it so I'm going to use it for a few more batches until I am certain.
 
Some may ask: why the old Dublin recipes? Because that is what Dr. Vernor based his recipe on. It took me about three weeks digging through the intertubes to glean what I could. But this recipe as I've posted it is as close to that as I've been able to get - so far. I'm going to keep tweaking it, but it's awfully good now.
 
I didn't make it to the LHBS this weekend to get the oak. When I do though, I'm thinking of making a tincture and then blending in the oak flavor instead of directly oaking the syrup.
 
I am not a brewer by any stretch of the imagination nor do I play one on television, so I'm not familiar with this. I don't think that having charred oak in the syrup (or the syrup in charred oak barrels) is the same thing as adding oak flavor to the syrup. Am I mistaken?

In any event, I'm trying to recreate the original Vernor's recipe or get close, and not using modern manufacturing shortcuts. That's just my take on it.
 
For the oak I'm using, I just went to the big-box lumber store and bought a 4-foot piece of red oak that is about 2 inches by 1/4 inch. Cut to length, char it in a fire, add it to the syrup container.
 
Thanks for the recipe. I'll give it a shot hopefully this weekend. Do you think the lemon oil is necessary?

I've been thinking since you asked this question, and doing sniff tests of the syrup as it matures. There is definitely too much lemon in the recipe.

So I have modified the post with my recipe, removing the lemon oil and reducing the lemon juice by 1/3. I may reduce it further, but I'll wait until I make another batch before I adjust it again.
 
I've been thinking since you asked this question, and doing sniff tests of the syrup as it matures. There is definitely too much lemon in the recipe.

So I have modified the post with my recipe, removing the lemon oil and reducing the lemon juice by 1/3. I may reduce it further, but I'll wait until I make another batch before I adjust it again.

Ran across this article on citrus and thought you may find the bit about lemon juice and aging interesting.

I wonder if just some zest would do the trick if it's still too lemony.
 
Here it is:

Ginger Ale
September 11, 2013 at 2:49am

Rebecca Putman
An attempt to re-create Vernor's


Ingredients:

2 C sugar
6 oz grated ginger
1 C water
1 tsp whole peppercorns
1 tsp whole allspice
4 Tbs real maple syrup
2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs honey
3 Tbs vanilla extract
2 pieces charred oak, to fit the aging container

Directions:

Heat the sugar, ginger, water, peppercorns, allspice, maple syrup, and lemon juice over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat then cover and let steep for one hour.

Strain the extract through a strainer with some cheesecloth into the aging container. Discard the solids in the strainer. Add the honey, and vanilla and stir to combine. Place charred oak into the bowl and cover. Let stand for at least one week; the longer you age, the smoother and more mellow it gets. (Alternative: get a real, small oak barrel that's been charred inside and use that for aging/storage.)

Place 2-3 tablespoons of the syrup into a glass and add one cup of seltzer. Top with ice and enjoy. Store the unused syrup in the aging barrel. Don't refrigerate it as that will slow the aging process. The syrup won't ferment because there will be too strong a concentration of sugars.



Just looking at the label, there has to be some salt in it, most other steeped pops have salt like root beer. I think it makes flavors "pop".
 
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