Homemade Ginger Ale: 30 Days of Creativity: Day 9

30 Days of Creativity: Day 9

Homemade Ginger Ale

(and a Dark and Stormy)

This is perfect for a hot summer day.

I'm not a big fan of sodas but I do like a ginger ale every now and then.  

So I thought if I'm going to drink them, I should make them myself.

I started by making a ginger simple syrup.  I cut up a really large ginger root and plopped it in a pot with four cups of water. 

I let this simmer for about 10 minutes and then let it steep for one hour.

I drained this and discarded the ginger pieces.  I put the liquid back in the pot with 1 1/2 cups of sugar and heated it until the sugar dissolved.

This is the ginger simple syrup it made.

It will stay in the refrigerator for a couple weeks.

To make your fresh glass of ginger ale, mix:

2 parts ginger simple sugar, 1 part lime juice, 3 parts sparkling water

If you want to make a Dark and Stormy drink,

mix 5 parts of your homemade ginger ale with 2 parts Goslings dark rum.

Put on a Nancy Wilson record and let her voice waft through the window as you watch the summer evening from an outdoor chair.  (Or fill in with your moment of choice)