Homemade ginger ale works best in two parts: a concentrated fresh-ginger syrup, and very cold bubbles added right when you’re ready to drink. The syrup takes patience. The finished glass takes less than a minute.
Homemade ginger ale with fresh ginger is a fresh-ginger syrup mixed with lime juice and cold seltzer: 1/4 cup syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice and 3/4 cup seltzer per glass. The syrup makes enough for 4 to 6 drinks and keeps in the fridge for a week, so a glass is always a stir away.
Homemade Ginger Ale at a Glance
| Detail | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Yield | 4 to 6 drinks |
| Active prep | About 10 minutes |
| Simmer | 45 minutes |
| Covered steep | 20 minutes |
| Flavor | Fresh ginger , lime, clean sweetness |
| Make-ahead | Syrup keeps chilled for 1 week |
Ginger Ale Is Not Ginger Beer
This is a quick ginger soda. It isn’t fermented and has no alcohol. The fizz comes from seltzer or club soda.
Ginger beer gets its flavor and bubbles a different way. If that’s the project you want, use the homemade ginger beer recipe . Make this ginger ale when you want a fresh glass you can adjust, with no fermentation.
What You Need
For the ginger syrup
- 1 1/2 cups, or 7 ounces, peeled and chopped fresh ginger
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- A pinch of kosher salt
For each glass
- 1/4 cup ginger syrup
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 3/4 cup chilled seltzer or club soda
- Ice
- A lime wedge
Chop the ginger so the water reaches plenty of cut surface during the long simmer. Don’t grate it into pulp. Chopped pieces strain out cleaner, too.
How to Make the Ginger Syrup
Put the chopped ginger and 2 cups water in a small saucepan.
Bring the water to a low simmer, partially cover the pan, and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, cover it fully, and let the ginger steep for 20 minutes.
Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Press gently on the ginger, then discard it.
Return the strained liquid to the saucepan. Add 3/4 cup sugar and a pinch of kosher salt.
Warm over medium heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves.
Transfer the syrup to a covered jar and chill it completely.
The long, low simmer pulls out the ginger flavor without making the glass gritty. The covered steep gives the hot liquid a little more time with the ginger before you strain.
How to Build One Glass
Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 1/4 cup cold ginger syrup and 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice. Stir them together, then add 3/4 cup chilled seltzer or club soda.
Stir gently. Taste, and add a little more syrup, seltzer, or lime juice if it needs it. Finish with a lime wedge.
Why the Bubbles Go Last
Carbonated water loses its fizz when it’s warmed, shaken, or blended. Fine ginger particles also give bubbles places to escape.
Strain the syrup well and chill both parts to protect the fizz. Add the seltzer only after the syrup, lime, ice, and glass are ready. One gentle stir is enough.
Seltzer or Club Soda?
Either works. Seltzer tastes clean and keeps the ginger and lime up front. Club soda has added minerals and can taste slightly more savory.
Whichever you pick, chill it well before opening. Warm seltzer goes flat faster and melts more ice.
Adjusting the Finished Glass
The starting ratio is balanced at 1/4 cup syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons lime, and 3/4 cup seltzer.
For a gentler glass, add more seltzer. For stronger ginger, add syrup one tablespoon at a time. For a brighter finish, squeeze in a little more lime. Adjust the glass, not the syrup method.
Make-Ahead Storage
The ginger syrup can be made one week ahead and kept chilled in an airtight container. Keep the seltzer separate until you serve.
Don’t add seltzer to the storage jar. The point of a make-ahead syrup is saving the bubbles for each fresh glass.
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Flat drink | Seltzer was warm or stirred hard | Use very cold bubbles and stir gently |
| Weak ginger | Simmer or steep was shortened | Use the full 45-minute simmer and 20-minute steep |
| Gritty glass | Syrup was not strained finely | Use a fine-mesh strainer |
| Sugar crystals | Sugar did not fully dissolve | Warm and stir until the syrup is clear |
| Too strong | Too much syrup for the glass | Add chilled seltzer |
Questions
Do I have to peel the ginger?
Peeled ginger makes the cleanest syrup. The edge of a spoon scrapes off the skin fast, even in the bumpy spots.
Can I use lemon instead of lime?
Yes. Lemon swaps in easily for lime.
Is this ginger ale alcoholic?
No. It uses seltzer and has no fermentation step.
Can I use powdered ginger?
The recipe uses fresh chopped ginger. Powdered ginger is hard to strain out completely and leaves sediment in the glass.
The Order Worth Saving
Simmer, steep, strain, sweeten, and chill. Build each glass with syrup and lime, then add cold seltzer last. Done in that order, you get real ginger flavor and keep the bubbles.
