Homemade Ginger Ale

I never buy any canned sodas, but sometimes a fizzy drink hits the spot on a warm day. Soda is easy to make at home, by just mixing any kind of syrup you like with sparkling water. I love ginger, so today, with the warm sunny weather returning to the Pacific Northwest, I decided to make some ginger ale.

Ginger Syrup

1 cup water
2/3 cup agave nectar ( I used an organic amber one)
generous 1/2 cup ginger, thinly sliced
15 peppercorns
20 cardamom pods
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice

To make the syrup, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer and let it cook gently for 20 - 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the syrup steep while cooling. When cool, strain out the ginger, peppercorns, and cardamom. Add in lemon and lime juice and store in the fridge until use. To make the ginger ale, mix 2 parts syrup with 4 parts sparkling water, or adjust to taste.

ginger syrup mixture

This turned out with a nice gingery and slightly spicy flavor. The ginger is not super strong. The next time I make it I think I'll add more ginger and more pepper, or maybe a different type of pepper, to give it a real bite. Also, this turned out pretty sweet with the agave, so next time, I might lower the amount to 1/2 cup.

This would also make a great mixer for a spicy cocktail.