ginger beer
- noun
- /ˈdʒɪndʒər bɪr/
- I enjoyed a refreshing bottle of ginger beer while sitting on the patio.
- a bottle of ginger beer
- ginger beer with vodka
- Rum and ginger beer
We are starting with ginger beer and corn beef fritters.
- We are starting with ginger beer and corn beef fritters.
- I've got some ginger ale because there's no ginger beer.
Examples
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It is black rum and ginger beer and lime.
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Sometimes David provided refreshments: crisps and ginger beer.
Fiction book (1996) -
You forgot the ginger beer.
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We're out of ginger beer...
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1 bottle of alcoholic ginger beer
Blog text (20) -
Oh, Mumsy, l want some ginger beer!
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Feed Waldo and give me a ginger beer.
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It's ginger beer and small-batch whiskey.
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We are starting with ginger beer and corn beef fritters.
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" OK, I'll have the same." George quickly pulled a brown bottle from the refrigerator, opened it, and poured Freiberg a glass of ginger beer.
Fiction book (2001)
Synonyms
A drink made from grains and hops that contains alcohol
A sweet fizzy drink flavored with ginger, like ginger ale
How Gingery
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally transparent: 'ginger beer' denotes a beer-style (carbonated/fermented) drink made with or flavored by ginger, so a learner who knows 'ginger' and 'beer' can infer the core meaning. Slight uncertainty about exact alcohol content (many modern ginger beers are non‑alcoholic or low‑alcohol) does not prevent understanding of the basic beverage sense.
Etymology
Ginger beer got its name because it was made from strong ginger and made like a beer: people mixed ginger, sugar and water and left it to make bubbles. That's why it tastes spicy and fizzy and can be 'slightly alcoholic'.