Fresh Spiced Ginger Ale

Friends, homemade ginger ale is fantastic. And I say this as a girl born and raised in Michigan, home of American ginger ale and the Vernor's empire. Vernor's strong bubbly brew makes you sneeze as you fall in love with the taste. Huffington Post wrote a great article about this last year: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/31/vernors-ginger-ale_n_2049763.html

I never considered making my own ginger ale, until I tasted it at an Asian restaurant, and couldn't stop ordering it. This is so different than the heavy syrupy stuff in cans! Recently, we found it again at Penny's Noodle Shop in the Wicker Park/Bucktown area of Chicago (I never know whether I'm in Wicker Park or Bucktown when I'm walking around there!). It's still one of the freshest-tasting, delightfully different drinks I've ever had.

There are two ways to make this - one with soda that gives it a fizz, one with brewers' or champagne yeast to ferment it. Either version will wake up your taste buds and cool you all the way down. Save this one for a scorching day, get a bendy straw and a little paper umbrella, and sip this in the shade. Lovely.

P.S. Penny's Noodle Shops have a Pan-Asian menu that's fresh, tasty, and surprisingly inexpensive for Chicago. You should try one of their locations someday!

Soda Version

Ingredients

3 tbsp grated ginger (about 2-3 inches of ginger root)

1 cup white sugar

2 cups water

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup lime juice, plus lime slices for garnish

1/8 tsp salt

1 liter club soda or sparkling water

Directions

Place the ginger, sugar, water, and cayenne in a large saucepan. Bring it to a boil, simmer 10 minutes while stirring occasionally, then allow the syrup to steep for 1 hour. Strain the solids from the syrup and let it cool to room temperature.

Stir in the lime juice, and salt. Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in 1/4 cup of ginger syrup, or more to taste. Fill the glass with club soda and stir. Serve with lime slices as a garnish.

Fermented version

Ingredients

3 tbsp grated ginger (about 2 inches of ginger root)

1 cup white sugar

8 cups water

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 cup lime juice, plus lime slices for garnish

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp yeast

Directions

Place the ginger, sugar, water, and cayenne in a large saucepan. Bring it to a boil, simmer 10 minutes while stirring occasionally, then allow the syrup to steep for 1 hour. Strain the solids from the syrup and let it cool to room temperature.

Stir in the lime juice, salt, and yeast. Pour into a 2-liter bottle and store it in a cool, dark place for 24-48 hours, shaking at least once a day. Serve over ice with lime slices.