Is Ginger Beer Halal?

Ginger beer – a delicate harmony of sweetness and spiciness coming from natural ginger, which is amazingly refreshing. We love it! Many people love it, but is ginger beer halal? Can you drink it if you are Muslim? Let’s try to answer this question and delve deeper into the topic.

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So, Is Ginger Beer Halal?

Let’s cut straight to the facts – is ginger beer halal? Yeah, the short answer is YES – ginger beer is halal. But there’s a catch – while most ginger beers are non-alcoholic, some do have a small amount of alcohol. Only the non-alcoholic ginger beer is halal. The best way to determine whether your ginger beer bottle or can is alcoholic is to check the label – it should mention it clearly. Some products even come with a special label “halal”, particularly in markets with many Muslim consumers.

Quick fact: Ginger beer should not be confused with ginger ale. While everyone calls it beer, ginger beer is not a true beer. Contrary to popular belief, ginger beer doesn’t and never contains actual beer. Virtually all ginger beers are non-alcoholic. It’s essentially a fizzy drink.

What Is Halal?

Really – what is halal? What does it mean? Let’s try to explain the term:

Halal is an Arabic word that is translated as “permissible” in English. More specifically, in the Quran, the root of the word (the sequence of consonants in Semitic languages) is h-l-l, and it denotes lawfulness. The opposite of h-l-l is h-r-m (translated as haram or ihram), which has the opposite meaning (breaking the oath). The verb that is used together with halal is ahalla, which is translated as “making things lawful”.

So we have halal and haram, so is there anything else you should know? Yes. The Quran and hadith (the recorded words of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) both say that every food is halal except the foods that are specifically prohibited. Halal foods are defined as:

• made, manufactured, processed, or stored using utensils, tools, machinery, or equipment that is cleaned according to Islamic law
• does not contain any ingredients that are explicitly prohibited according to Islamic law

What Is Ginger Beer?

Ginger beer (don’t confuse it with ginger ale) is a fermented fizzy drink with a spicy, sweet, pungent flavor. Ginger beer is not a real beer, as it has minimal or no alcohol content. The first ginger beer, as we know it today, was apparently brewed in England in the mid-1700s. Initially, it had more alcohol content (up to 11 percent) and was made from ginger roots, sugar, and water. It also included a plant called ginger beer plant (in fact, it’s a colony of Lactobacillus bacteria). During the next centuries, ginger beer became increasingly popular and was exported to other countries.

In the United States, ginger beer was common before Prohibition. You could find ginger beer in many bars or in stores across the country. In the 1920s, after Prohibition, the modern ginger beer, with a minimal alcohol content, was the only ginger beer you could find (legally).

Some ginger beer, like real beer, is fermented (it goes through a brewing process). However, the fermentation process is much simpler than in regular beer. The production of modern ginger beer is very similar to hard cider. Another thing to remember is that not all ginger beers are fermented. Some are simply fizzy drinks and contain no alcohol at all. 

Ginger beer is carbonated, but most get their fizz from forced carbonation (the ginger beer is injected with pressurized carbon dioxide shortly before bottling or canning). 

How Much Alcohol Is In Ginger Beer?

Most ginger beers have no or tiny amounts of alcohol. These non-alcoholic ginger beers are manufactured, not brewed, as there is no fermentation process. On the other hand, some ginger beers are brewed and go through a fermentation process. These ginger beers have a higher alcohol content and are not halal. 

Usually, ginger beers have an average alcohol content of 0.5 percent (ABV), making them virtually non-alcoholic and halal. Although alcohol is always considered haram and is not allowed to drink if you are Muslim, ginger beers don’t have enough alcohol to make them halal. Also, most ginger beers are considered non-alcoholic beverages according to most trading standards. This means that they are not taxed as alcoholic beverages. 

Getting drunk with ginger beers? Yes, you can technically get drunk if you drink ginger beer – but you’ll have to drink A LOT of it. Probably 30 to 40, or even 50 cans. And all in a few hours. Are you up for it? 

Quick fact: Ginger beer usually has no or a very limited amount of alcohol. Brewed ginger beer has a small amount of alcohol, similar to lighter beers. On the other hand, ginger ale is always non-alcoholic, with no alcohol content at all.

How To Avoid Drinking Haram Ginger Beer?

As we mentioned above, some ginger beers do contain alcohol. The brewed ginger beers, as they are commonly known, have an alcohol content of 4 to 5 percent (ABV). Of course, these alcoholic ginger beers are haram, so if you are Muslim, you should avoid them. Just pay attention to the label on the bottle or can. This is compulsory information in all countries, so it should be easily visible. So, read both sides of the label to double-check if your ginger beer has alcohol (check the ABV level).

Ginger Beer Ingredients

While there are many ginger beer recipes around, most have some common basic ingredients, like fine cane sugar, ginger (from roots), preservatives, citric acid, carbonated water, and a variety of natural flavors. The alcoholic ginger beers also have yeast and, of course, alcohol. 

Wrapping It Up

So, we have great news for you: almost all ginger beer is halal. This means you can drink it whenever you want, particularly on a hot summer day! However, just remember that some ginger beer may contain alcohol (although just a few breweries make alcoholic ginger beer). To avoid drinking alcoholic ginger beer, just read both labels carefully. The ABV should be easily visible.