on Nov 14, 2015, Updated Sep 23, 2021 17 Comments Ginger ale is one of those flavorful drinks that I’ve always loved. Sweet and slightly tart, it is one of the most refreshing drinks and one that I am so thankful to know just how easy it is to make in my own kitchen! There’s just something about making my own that makes it taste even better, I think! To make my own ginger ale, I make my own ginger syrup. Now, for the ginger syrup, I start with about 5 ounces of fresh ginger. You should be able to find fresh ginger in the produce section of your grocery store. In my grocery store, it is shelved in the section with green onion, chives, and other fresh vegetables and herbs. I like to weigh my ginger to make sure that I have just what I need while I’m at the grocery store. Then, once I am home, I peel my ginger using the bowl of a teaspoon. To peel fresh ginger, just grasp the spoon close to the bowl and pull the edge of the spoon bowl along the peeling of the ginger. It should peel right off. Once the ginger is peeled, I then cut it into a small dice and toss it, along with a bit of water, into a small saucepan over medium heat. Allow the ginger to simmer for about 30 minutes and then remove it from the heat, cover and let the ginger steep in the water for another 15 minutes. Don’t skimp on this part as it imparts the most flavor to the ginger syrup. Rushing this process will produce a ginger syrup that isn’t nearly as “gingery” as you’ll want it to be! Now, pour the ginger syrup through a sieve, reserving the ginger pieces for another purpose or discarding. Pour the syrup back into the saucepan over medium heat and add your sweetener. You can use honey, granulated sugar, maple syrup or your favorite sweetener. Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes and then remove from the heat. Allow the ginger syrup to cool completely. Once it has cooled, you can pour it into a Mason jar to store in the refrigerator for up to about 2 weeks for making individual glasses of ginger ale or go ahead and make a large container to serve a group. To make the ginger ale, just add the ginger syrup to a 2-quart glass pitcher and stir in fresh lemon or lime juice along with club soda or seltzer water. You can even add a sliver of fresh ginger to the glasses as you serve it for even more ginger flavor and scent. I hope you love this homemade ginger ale as much as we do! Cheers! Enjoy! Robyn xo
