Ingredients

• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 (2- to 3-inch) knob of gingerroot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves
• Several strips orange zest
• Seltzer water, to serve
• Fresh mint, for garnish

Method

Mix sugar, honey, water, gingerroot, cloves, and zest in a small pot and bring to a boil. Simmer about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is the consistency of honey. Turn off the heat.

Cover the pot and let the mixture steep until cool. Strain the syrup into a jar. It will keep indefinitely.

If you like, reserve the orange zest and use for garnish when you are ready to serve the ginger ale.

To serve, put 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of syrup in a glass. Pour in seltzer water and stir. Taste. If you'd like a more
strongly flavored drink, add syrup. Serve over ice with mint to garnish.

Notes

Play with this basic recipe until it suits you. You could experiment with varieties of honey or substitute molasses. You could swap out the orange for lemon zest.

Categories

beverages, prepare ahead