Old Jamaican Ginger Beer
- Jamaica ginger extract (known in the United States by the slang name Jake) was a late 19th century patent medicine that provided a convenient way to bypass Prohibition laws, since it contained between 70-80% ethanol by weight.
jamaican ginger
- An alcoholic drink made from yeast-fermented malt flavored with hops
- Any of several other fermented drinks
- a general name for alcoholic beverages made by fermenting a cereal (or mixture of cereals) flavored with hops
- “Beer” is the fifth episode of the BBC sitcom Blackadder II, the second series of Blackadder, which was set in Elizabethan England from 1558 to 1603.
- Beer is the world’s most widely consumed and probably the oldest of alcoholic beverages; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea.
beer
old jamaican ginger beer – Frontier Herb
Jamaican
Photos and story by Bill Hughes
bhug82@yahoo.com
Chef Lindsay Johnson does not sit still very long. She cannot when she is working at her new Authentic Jamaican Cuisine restaurant in Elkton. As soon as she does get a break, the phone rings or a customer walks into the ethnic eatery and she is back in the kitchen where Bob Marley or Gregory Isaac’s music is overheard playing.
Fried plantains, jerk chicken, oxtail, steamed cabbage and "rice and peas (kidney beans) are just some of the island food items on the menu and guests are excited about it. Lindsay’s inspiration for opening such a business is close to her heart.
"My father (Linford) is a chef on a cruise ship in Jamaica and I was the kid who always stood by the stove while he was cooking and I wanted to taste everything," said Lindsay who loves to wear her father’s Jamaican flag sunglasses atop her head. "If I go there, he will show me any recipe. His "flamboyant" (Linford’s favorite word) recipes as he says."
She talks with him as often as her hectic schedule allows. "I call him at least every two weeks. I’m so busy here, so I don’t get to talk to him all the time."
Although she does not eat out at many other restaurants in the area, she does frequent two. "I like Durham’s (bbq on Fletchwood Rd & Rt. 279) and I like JoJo’s." (Hotdogs on Bridge St., both in Elkton). I didn’t know McDonald’s till I was 12 years old. My dad would never let us eat there."
The Authentic Jamaican Cuisine is one of a kind here in county. "You have to travel at least half an hour," Lindsay said about finding another island restaurant. "I think this is an awesome addition in Cecil County."
Of her specialty entrees, she notes the most popular. "Curry goat ($7. sm, $10. lg). It’s so different from everything else."
Her Easter was a family outing filled with food from her Savannah la Mar, Jamaica heritage, which is off the coast of the Caribbean Sea. "We cooked out on the grill and made barbecue pork tenderloins, curry shrimp, green beans and white potatoes. I baked apple cobbler," she said about the holiday weekend. "I’m not used to having two days off."
Lindsay works together with Jason Watts and together they keep the business running smoothly. "We have a lot of elderly people who come here and a lot of teenagers, lawyers and doctors," said Jason as Lindsay went back into the kitchen. "We treat them with kindness and try to give them what they want. If they want spice, we give them the spice."
Besides Coke-A-Cola products, there are also Snapple drinks and Jamaican beverages like ginger beer, pineapple, Ting and Pink Ting. "It’s a real big thing in Jamaica," she said of Ting. "I’ve been drinking that since I was a kid."
For dessert, there is yummy homemade chocolate cake, strawberry cake and the delicious Salomey’s Banana Pudding with graham cracker crumbs which is probably the best in the county.
Some of Monday’s customers were there for their very first visit. "I saw the Jamaican flag and I had to check it out," said Kingston, Jamaican born Jurian Thomas from Baltimore who works for Maryland Health Choice and comes to Elkton every other week. "It will be my meal next time I’m in Cecil County." He ordered the jerk chicken ($6. for sm. and $9. for lg.)
"We try to support the local merchants on Main Street," said family physician Dr. John Mulvey of 111 West Main Street who is a new fan of the ginger beer. "We wanted to try this place out."
Authentic Jamaican Cuisine is located at 152 West Main St. in Elkton. The hours are Monday-Thursday: 11a-8p, Friday and Saturday 11a-9p and closed on Sunday. You can find them on their Facebook page and call 410-398-3431. They also deliver within two miles.
Old Jamaica Ginger Beer
Eine Ingwerlimonade
OLD JAMAICAN GINGER BEER 