Ginger beer can be a little confusing at times. Some people will equate it to ginger ale, which is typically a softer variation. For real ginger beer, you should expect it to have a noticeable ginger heat to it, but not too much.

For any recipe here that you find attributed to Audrey Saunders, the ginger beer she uses is a homemade version that is far easier to make. The recipe for Audrey's ginger beer is as follows:

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon water
• 1 pound ginger root, peeled
• 4 ounces light brown sugar or 6 ounces light agave syrup
• 2 ounces fresh lime juice

Directions:

1. Bring the water to boil in a large pot.
2. After cutting the ginger into smaller pieces and place in a food processor. Add a cup of the boiling water to the processer and process until the mixture resembles mulch.
3. Add the mixture to the boiling water and turn off the heat. Stir well, cover, and let sit for 1 hour.
4. Strain through a fine chinois or sieve, pressing down on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible (the strained liquid will be cloudy). Then discard the solids.
5. Add the lime juice and the brown sugar; stirring to dissolve the sugar, and then allow to cool.
6. Transfer to bottles and store in the refrigerator.