Homemade ginger ale isn’t your run-of-the-mill, grocery store fizzy drink. This is a deeply flavored, intensely gingery and brown sugar-accented adult soda. Perfect alone or in a cocktail.
*What's the best way to grate ginger?
If you just need a little bit of ginger, then do it like you usually do—microplane, the small holes on your grater, heck, you can even just give it a scrape with the tines of a fork. But for a recipe that requires a substantial amount of ginger, you might need to pull out the microplane rather than the other options. And if all else fails, you can always use a food processor and whiz up as much ginger as you could ever desire. Bear in mind that fresh, young ginger is less fibrous and will ultimately be easier to peel in large quantities, especially if you go the microplane route.
Homemade Ginger Ale
Ingredients
- For the ginger syrup
- For the ginger ale
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the ginger, brown sugar, and water, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and let the ginger steep in the syrup until cooled to room temperature, 30 to 45 minutes.
Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a jar or container, pressing on the ginger with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled through, 1 to 2 hours. (The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
Fill 4 pint glasses two-thirds full of ice. Into each glass pour 3 to 4 tablespoons of the syrup, 1 cup of the club soda, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, and stir to combine.
Garnish each with a lime wedge and serve immediately.
Recipe Testers' Reviews
Clean and crisp, this homemade ginger ale makes for a great mid-summer refreshment as well as a great tonic during cold season. However, this drink is not intended for the ginger averse. The fresh ginger packs a punch and its flavor is much more pronounced than most commercial varieties.
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Kate H. Knapp
This is gingerific! The spice from the fresh ginger can't be matched, and I can't imagine ever drinking it from the can again. The simple preparation leads to a really refreshing drink, one that's perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up or an evening nightcap (just add a wee touch of rum).
It's easy and delicious, and well worth the effort of grating the ginger. I found the balance between ginger and citrus to be close to perfect for my taste, but I LOVE ginger and didn't want to take away from its taste. I tried adding a bit more lime, but found it to be more along the lines of a dark & stormy than a homemade ginger ale.