I have a growing obsession with ginger. It’s a strong flavor, but I love it. Ginger ale is the only soda I still drink. Reed’s Ginger Brew or Bundaberg’s Ginger Beer are even better.
I tried making my own ginger ale after finding a recipe at An Hour in the Kitchen and I had whey leftover from making cheese. Then I tried a ginger beer recipe from a Caribbean cookbook I found at the library. Waiting for the proper chemical reactions to take place wasn’t my favorite, so I started experimenting.
I came up with something I call ginger-ade. It’s not ginger ale, ginger beer or ginger juice, but a very flavorful ginger drink. It’s ginger-infused water, mixed with honey and other fruit juices. And you don’t have to wait a few days for the mixture to ferment. (If you want bubbles though, add soda water.)
The recipe can be tweaked depending on your tastes and what you have on hand. I’ve made versions with orange juice, limeade and pineapple juice. However you do it, the result is a tangy, refreshing drink that’s a mix of citrus, spice and ginger. And it makes your stomach feel amazing.
Also see: Ginger Berry Ice Cream
Ginger-ade
Original recipe
- 1/2 cup sliced ginger (buy a big knob of fresh ginger, peel and slice about 1/4 inch thick)
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (save the other half of orange for slicing and serving with the drink)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 clove (better to leave out this ingredient than substitute ground cloves)
Peel and slice ginger. Add ginger and water to a small pot, and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and add cinnamon stick and clove. Allow flavors to come together for 20-30 minutes on low. Stir in honey so it dissolves. Taste to see if the ginger is infused enough.
Take off heat. Add pineapple, lime and orange juice. Pour mixture through fine mesh strainer into a pitcher. Allow to cool completely, then serve over ice with an orange slice.
Ginger Simple Syrup
If you’re looking for something more to do with the ginger, you can make a simple syrup to add to hot or iced tea, lemonade or cocktails. Put the ginger slices and a cup of water in the pot and put it back on medium high heat. Add a cup of sugar and stir to dissolve. When the syrup comes together, turn off heat, allow ginger to infuse the syrup for 15 minutes or more, then take the ginger slices out and store syrup in the fridge for a week or two, maybe more.
