This homemade ginger ale is super refreshing and simple to prepare, made with just 3 ingredients – all natural with unrefined sugars- and several flavor variations!
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.
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
Makeahead: 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, smoothies, yogurt, ice cream, or even turned into candied ginger.
Check the blog post for more ingredient notes, add-ins, serving recommendations, and answers to top FAQs!