FRASER ELISABETH TAN, PHD

Homemade Ginger Ale

A delicious and refreshing recipe from Crumpets and Cakes! You can make it the slow way and wait for a few days, or use a shortcut to make it for day-of drinking. For make-ahead ginger ale: 1c...

V EF DF

Ingredients

For make-ahead ginger ale:

  • 1 c sugar
  • freshly grated ginger root (1 1/2-2 tablespoons), use the freshest ginger root you can find, it really makes a difference
  • juice of one lemon
  • 1/4 tsp baker’s yeast
  • cold fresh spring or filtered water

For instant gratification:

  • 1 cup fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • club soda
  • juice of one or two limes, juice from half lemon
  • mint for garnish

Equipment

  • clean 2L plastic bottle
  • funnel

Directions

For make-ahead ginger ale:

  1. Through a funnel add sugar and yeast to a plastic bottle.
  2. Mix grated ginger root and lemon juice and then transfer it to a bottle, add water to fill it half way and shake well to mix all ingredients.
  3. Add more water, leaving about an inch head space, screw the cap on and shake again.
  4. Leave in a warm place for about two days and then transfer to refrigerator, to stop fermentation process. Refrigerate overnight.
  5. Pour it through a strainer and enjoy!

For instant gratification (well, not instant, but closer than two days away gratification):

  1. Combine ginger, sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer slowly for 10 minutes, until sugar is dissolved and ginger is softened.
  2. Strain warm syrup and allow to cool.
  3. Fill a tall glass with ice, add 1 part (used 2oz shot glass) of ginger syrup and 3 parts of club soda.
  4. Squeeze in lemon or lime juice. Garnish with mint.

Notes

  • A delicious and refreshing recipe from Crumpets and Cakes! You can make it the slow way and wait for a few days, or use a shortcut to make it for day-of drinking.
  • You can also mix all the ingredients in a jar and then transfer to a plastic bottle (as I did).
  • I used tonic water for this, and I’m not sure what if any effect that had on the yeast. I liked this version a lot, though it tasted perhaps a bit too citrusy and not quite gingery enough.
  • I like this syrup a lot! I can see using it for drinks - mixed or otherwise - besides ginger soda. I actually preferred this without the citrus juice, as it tasted more clearly gingery to me. I also hate mint, so I omitted that. All in all a very plain drink, but bright and flavorful ginger!