Hi, Friends of Cocktails! Ginger is a fiery, punchy, delicious, and healthy root. But how do you turn ginger into the best cocktail syrup while keeping all of its bold character? Okay, let’s be honest—if you want it to be healthy, maybe skip the cocktail. But since we’re on Cocktail Time, today I’ll show you how to make Ginger Syrup with not just one, but three levels of intensity: Mild, Medium, and Hot!
We’ll also create a silky Ginger Gum Syrup and whip up a quick Ginger Ale for a highball cocktail that’s fizzy, spicy, and oh-so-refreshing. To get started, you’ll need a juicer. After years of using a hand-me-down, we’ve upgraded to a slow juicer that’s fantastic at juicing just about anything.
For an added pro touch, we’ll use a magnetic stirrer, a precision scale, and a few glass beakers—but these are optional. Once your setup is ready, all you’ll need are water, sugar, and ginger to join me in saying, “It’s Cocktail Time”!
Mild Ginger Syrup | Medium Ginger Syrup | Hot Ginger Syrup |
● 120g Sugar ● 100mL · 3.33oz Hot Water ● 20mL · 0.66oz Ginger Juice | ● 120g Sugar ● 80mL · 2.66oz Hot Water ● 40mL · 1.33oz Ginger Juice | ● 120g Sugar ● 60mL · 2oz Hot Water ● 60mL · 2oz Ginger Juice |
First, make sure your ginger is thoroughly washed—there’s no need to peel it if you’re using a slow juicer. Simply cut it into chunks that fit into the opening and start pressing. However, if you prefer to peel it, use a spoon for ease, as I demonstrated in the second part of the Cocktail Hacks video.
Once juiced, pass the juice through a muslin cloth to remove smaller particles. These can make your cocktails extra cloudy, so it’s best to avoid them. Now, combine the juice with your other ingredients using a magnetic stirrer, adjusting the ratios based on how spicy you want your syrup—and that’s it!
This process will give you three 50 BRIX syrups, meaning you can use them just like simple syrup. Also don’t forget to label your syrup bottles,nd if you’re scaling up for larger batches, you can also use these cocktail calculators to get precise measurements for your ginger juice.
But if you also want to give your cocktails a richer texture along with that gingery kick, one extra step is to make gum syrup by changing the previous recipes slightly.
Ginger Gum Syrup
● 60mL · 2oz Hot Water
● 30g Gum Arabic
● 120g Sugar
● 60mL · 2oz Ginger Juice
First, we’ll hydrate the gum arabic powder in boiling hot water. Add it to a beaker and use a magnetic stirrer to mix for 1 hour. Once the gum is fully hydrated and dissolved, it’s time to add the sugar and ginger juice. For this hot Ginger Gum Syrup, I’m sticking to a 1:1 ratio of water to ginger juice.
Let everything mix fully, then bottle, label, and marvel at your silky, fiery ginger gum syrup. Not only does it pack a punch, but it also adds incredible body to your cocktails. Before we move on to making a quick Ginger Ale and using it in a simple cocktail, let’s talk about a quicker alternative: Liber & Co.’s Fiery Ginger Syrup!
Their star ingredient is cold-pressed, freshly juiced ginger grown and harvested in the Amazon Rainforest of Peru. It includes gum arabic, giving it both the heat and that silky mouthfeel. We’ll use it to make the most famous ginger cocktail out there: the Moscow Mule!
Moscow Mule
● 60mL · 2oz Vodka
● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lime Juice
● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Hot Ginger Syrup
● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution
● 90mL · 3oz Soda Water
● Lime Wedge Garnish
Into a Moscow Mule mug filled with ice, add the vodka, lime juice, Ginger Syrup, and saline solution. Stir the ingredients until you see frosting on the outside of the mug, then top it up with soda water. Give the drink a gentle stir with a barspoon to combine everything, add your garnish, and enjoy. Cheers!
The Moscow Mule doesn’t get any easier than this. But, as mentioned, we’ll also whip up some Ginger Ale. With the heat you can get from today’s ginger syrup recipes, the flavor profile will be closer to ginger beer, but since it isn’t fermented I’ll steer clear of calling it that.
DIY Ginger Ale (Single Serve) | DIY Ginger Ale (200mL Bottles) |
● 7.5mL · 0.25oz Lemon Juice ● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Ginger Syrup ● 130g Soda Water | ● 0.02g Citric Acid ● 30mL · 1oz Ginger Syrup ● Cold Soda Water |
For a single serve, add lemon juice, soda water, and your choice of Ginger Syrup to a chilled highball glass, gently combine, and enjoy. Another option, which also makes for a thoughtful gift, is bottling your Ginger Ale. My ratios are for 200mL soda bottles, but feel free to scale them to fit your bottles. Then just pour the ingredients in, seal the bottles with a capper, and store your soda in the fridge.
Either way, you’ll make a fizzy, spicy ginger ale that’s ideal for cocktails or sipping over ice, with or without a slice of lemon. Now, that can of course be made better with a little scotch, so let’s make a simple ginger & scotch highball called the Mamie Taylor.
Mamie Taylor
● 45mL · 1.5oz Scotch
● 7.5mL · 0.25oz Lime Juice
● Ginger Ale
● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution
● Lime Peel Circle Garnish
I’ll make mine in a highball glass over a clear ice spear, and for garnish I’m going with a small circle of lime peel. I think this checks all the boxes that Mamie Taylor, a Broadway star at the turn of the 20th century, asked for, when she wanted a refreshing long drink with a kick.
With that we’ve reached the Bottom of The Glass. Today’s recommended read comes from somebody I’m happy to call a friend - Jeffrey Morgenthaler. His Bar Book is not only one of the most influential books for bartenders in the 21st century, it also has a section on making homemade ginger beer, if you want to take today’s cocktail recipe to a new level.
This really is a must-read book, and if you bump into Jeffrey at any bar shows or guest shifts around the world, or catch him behind the bar at Pacific Standard in Portland, I’m sure he’ll be happy to share a toast with all Friends of Cocktails. Cheers and I’ll see you next week!
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