Pro chef Liziwe Matloha shows us how to make her famous gemere. This local drink is a delicious ginger beer refresher – perfect for summer!

MAKES 5 L // COOKING TIME 15 min, plus 1-2 days for fermentation

INGREDIENTS
100 g ground ginger
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp instant dry yeast
5 L warm water
200 ml lemon juice
2 cups brown sugar
20 raisins

METHOD
1. In a clean bucket with a lid, add the ginger, cream of tartar and yeast. Stir until well combined.
2. Add half the water, and lemon juice, and whisk everything together until well-combined. Add the rest of the water.
3. Pour the sugar into the mixture and allow it to sink to the bottom. Do not stir.
4. Add the raisins and close the lid tightly.
5. Set aside in a slightly warm place overnight (preferably 2 nights) to ferment. Once the raisins have floated to the top, the gemere is ready to drink.
6. Strain through a sieve and chill before enjoying with ice and slices of fresh lemon.

Liziwe’s Top Tip:
Keeping the sugar at the bottom and not stirring stalls the dissolving process caused by the yeast, so you don’t have to keep adding more while the gemere ferments.

Styling: Elizabeth Mackenzie
Photography: Andreas Eiselen // HMimages.co.za

For an extra quick and delicious local recipe, try our DIY ginger beer.