Hard Ginger Beer has become a favourite for people who want something crisp, refreshing and a little different from beer or cider. But what makes it hard, and how is it different from the ginger beer you might have had as a child.
At Spreyton, the answer starts with fermentation, three simple ingredients and a family recipe that has been around since the 1860s.
What is hard ginger beer?
Hard Ginger Beer is an alcoholic ginger drink. The word hard is simply used to separate it from non-alcoholic ginger beer.
There is no single way to make it. Some products are built from a brewed or fermented base, while others may be blended or carbonated. Spreyton’s version is a naturally fermented ginger beer. Yeast works through the brew, helping create the alcohol, bubbles and dry finish.
A story that starts at sea
The recipe belongs to our great-great-grandfather, Walter Langworthy. He was a Hobart-based master mariner. The family story goes that he never left port without a keg or two of his own ginger beer. He swore it was the best cure for seasickness on the Bass Strait runs.
When he finally stepped ashore for good in the 1890s, he traded the captain’s wheel for the publican’s trade. One thing never changed. There was always a keg of ginger beer on the go behind the bar. We pieced the recipe back together from old notebooks and family heirlooms. Today we still brew it the same way, only now it is available in cans so you can take the taste of that history home with you.
For anyone looking for a family recipe ginger beer, this is the real thing. It is a traditional hard ginger beer with a story stretching from the Bass Strait to Spreyton.
Only three ingredients
Spreyton Hard Ginger Beer is naturally fermented using only ginger, lemon and yeast. It is based on a restored family recipe dating back to the 1860s, pieced together from old notebooks and family heirlooms.
The Fijian ginger delivers bold warmth, rich flavour and a lingering hint of spice. Lemon adds a fresh citrus lift, while yeast drives the natural fermentation process and helps develop the drink’s distinctive character.
It is a simple ingredient list with no shortcuts. Just an honest family recipe, made properly.
What does naturally fermented mean?
Fermentation is the process that turns sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. In simple terms, the yeast gets to work and changes the brew over time. This process gives Spreyton Hard Ginger Beer more than bubbles. It helps build its flavour, dry finish and gentle natural fizz. That is why naturally fermented ginger beer can taste more layered than a drink made mainly from syrup, flavouring and added carbonation.
You do not need to understand the science to enjoy it. You can taste the result in the bold ginger warmth, bright lemon zing and clean finish.
A craft ginger beer Tasmania can call its own
Not everyone wants a traditional beer, and even committed cider drinkers sometimes feel like a change. Hard ginger beer sits comfortably between the two. It is crisp and easy to drink, yet the ginger gives it plenty of character.
Spreyton Hard Ginger Beer is 3.5% alcohol by volume. It is also gluten free and vegan friendly. Serve it cold on its own, pour it over ice or use it to give a mixed drink a fiery ginger kick.
Taste it where it is made
If you are travelling through North West Tasmania, visit the Spreyton Cider Co. cellar door in Spreyton, near Devonport. You can try the hard ginger beer alongside our Tasmanian ciders and other drinks made on site.
It is a chance to taste the recipe where it is made and see why a drink with such a short ingredient list has lasted for generations.
Order Spreyton Hard Ginger Beer online
You do not need to be in Tasmania to enjoy it. Spreyton Hard Ginger Beer is available to buy online in a 16-pack of 330 ml cans.
If you have been searching for Hard Ginger Beer Australia wide and want something with real family history, natural fermentation and a proper ginger bite, this may be the one for you. Shop Spreyton Hard Ginger Beer online or visit our cellar door to try it for yourself.
