Homemade Ginger Ale

My grandmother was a big fan of ginger ale. I imbibed only when I was at her house so it became a special treat I associated with fun days at grandma's house. When I recently found myself with a bunch of ginger left over from a food shoot, I thought I'd make homemade ginger ale.

Some homemade soda recipes rely on fermentation for carbonation. This recipe offers a shortcut, substituting carbonated water for the bubbles. You can add more or less syrup to each glass depending on your taste.

The flavor is more gingery and brighter than commercial ginger ale. I'm sure mixologists will have fun coming up with spirits to pair with both the syrup and soda.

Fresh ginger root.

No need to peel - just rinse and thinly slice.

Add sliced ginger, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat
and simmer 10 minutes. Cool and strain.

Combine 3 Tbsp syrup with 1 cup carbonated water in a glass. Top with ice and enjoy!

Homemade Ginger Ale
From Sara Moulton

1/2 cup sliced unpeeled rinsed fresh ginger root
1 1/3 cup water
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Bottled carbonated water, chilled

Combine ginger, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Let cool, strain and discard ginger. In a rock glass combine 3 Tbsp ginger syrup and one cup seltzer. Top with ice. Makes 8 servings.