Semi-Homemade Ginger Ale
September 13, 2008|Comments (16)
Making your own soda pop is loads of fun but exploding bottles and broken glass don’t thrill everyone involved (particularly those of us who must clean up the resulting sticky mess). Plus, there is the wait. Don’t worry… I will show the process for making and bottling homemade soda pop in a future post but for now I’ll post a quick, easy, and delicious recipe for my favorite no-good-very-bad-day drink.
Not a very complicated ingredient list. Nope.
- 1 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- a few teaspoons of lime juice
- lime wedges (optional)
Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a saucepan. Add the ginger and simmer 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit uncovered for 20 minutes. Go sort and start the laundry. Actually just come over here to sort and start my laundry.
Pour the ginger water through a strainer and toss the cooked ginger in your compost pile. Or don’t. I won’t know either way. Now make simple syrup by dissolving 1 cup sugar into 1 cup boiling water. Grab some tall glasses and prepare each separately with
- 1 cup ginger water
- 1/3 cup simple syrup
- 1/2 cup (or a little more) club soda
- a few drops of lime juice
- lime wedge (optional)
Stir and serve. Makes about four glasses and is easily doubled. Let me tell you… if scientists were to discover the mythical youth elixir I would not be surprised if this was it. The flavor is so smooth. Such a great treat to cool off or simply a reward for doing laundry. That’s right. We need rewards for such things. You know?
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Lacy: That looks really cool, I’m sure it has a great taste. What a treat on a hot southern night.
Great idea! My husband loves ginger ale.
I saw a similar recipe recently in one of my magazines. I’m planning to try it soon and spring it on dinner guests. I’m hoping it’s as easy to make as it looks!
BTW, I LOVE Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I make my not so little kids sit and listen when I’m in the mood for it! =D
Dear Lacy,
Wow homemade soda pop. I had nerver heard of this before. One of my favorite drinks is gingerale or ginger beer (no alcohol). This is going to be great to have on our hot days though not many . I’ll be making this out in the country when we build our home in a few years. I can just picture it now but for now the apartment will have to do. Looking forward to your bottle version!!!!! Please keep up the good work. You are very much loved. lol Love Always
That really sounds wonderful.
I’ll trade me doing your laundry, for you making me that drink.
Oh… that sounds to cool and refreshing…. it is 96 humid degrees here today!
Sounds crisp and refreshing!
Enjoy some for me so I can let my reflux heal. 
Today is International Chocolate Day. Would you please eat a piece for me?
I am sorely out of chocolate.
Have a wonderful weekend, Robin
Girl that looks so good! I wish the store wasn’t 17 miles away, and 17 miles back and gas prices weren’t 4.90, and my son wasn’t sick and I would get right in the car and go get everything to make that yummy drink and I would compost it!!!!
Oh, delicious and so refreshing! I love ginger! I’ll have to make some Ginger Ale one of those days…
Cheers,
Rosa
YUMMMM!!!!!
Lacy, I am SO sorry I’m waaaayyyy behind on reading your blog posts- I finally updated my blogfeed so I should be able to keep up better, and I am going to try to work backwards on your blog.
I like to use club soda, simple syrup, lime and a little mint together. It’s a virgin Mojito. Pretty much it tastes like a limeade with a dash of mint.
I’ll have to try this recipe. I love love love fresh ginger!
Wow!! I will have to try this next weekend. It looks delicious!
Yummy! I love ginger ale and will never understand the people who will only drink it when they’re sick. :p
My dad is ALWAYS telling me about the way when he was a kid the family used to make homemade pop (mostly root beer) all the time and he wants to make some again if we can ever gather up all the necessary supplies for it. I think it sounds like fun. =)
You are so funny. That is a great recipe. I think it would be good to add to fruit punch for lots of guests. I have rhubarb juice canned and plum juice canned and adding a little of the ginger water and syrup and soda would be really yummy. Of course it seems it would be very refreshing after working hard too.
Oh I love ginger ale! I have never, EVER tried to make my own soda! Now that I have a recipe I may have to give it a try!
OH MY!!! I have to try this. I just love ginger ale and I’m sure there’s none better than homemade! Thanks for the post and recipe