Ingredients
For the concentrated ginger water (this will yield about 4 cups/1 l)
- ▢3.1 oz ginger 1 cup chopped
- ▢5 cups water
For the ginger ale
- ▢1 cup concentrated ginger water
- ▢2 cups sparkling water or club soda or seltzer
- ▢1/4 cup honey or agave, maple; OR use granulated sugar like raw cane sugar, (add to warm ginger water) OR make sugar-free with erythritol/xylitol, etc.
- ▢1/2 lemon 1.5-2 Tbsp fresh juice; OR lime juice
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Concentrated Ginger Water
- Peel and chop the ginger into small disks/chunks.For a more concentrated flavor, mince or grate the ginger.
- Transfer the ginger and water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 30 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat, allow it to cool to room temperature, and strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the ginger solids.At this point, you’ll have about 4 cups of concentrated ginger water. You can use it all now OR freeze some for later usage.
Step 2: Assemble the Homemade Ginger Ale
- Juice the lemon.
- Combine all the ingredients for the homemade ginger ale into a large pitcher or individual glasses, and stir.
- Give it a taste and adjust any elements (sweetener, lemon, ginger water, water) to your liking.
Storage
- Make ahead: You can prepare the ginger water concentrate in advance and store it for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or several months in the freezer. When doing the latter, I like to portion it out into a large silicone ice cube tray, so I can defrost just enough for a glass of ginger ale each time.Store: Ultimately, the ginger ale stores for as long as the carbonation lasts and should be kept in the fridge.
Notes
Adjust the ratios to taste: Add more or less ginger water, sweetener, lemon, etc., to tweak the homemade ginger ale recipe to your taste. Then take a note to know for next time.
“Cheat” version: You can somewhat simplify the process by turning the ginger water into a ginger syrup (with the addition of the sugar). That can then simply be mixed with the carbonated water and served with a lemon or lime wedge; voila! Note that the ratio of syrup to carbonated water will change.
Using leftover ginger solids: Rather than discarding them, you could add them to baked goods, homemade smoothies, yogurt, ice cream, or even turned into candied ginger.
