DIY Ginger Syrup...
An easy guide to making it at home
What better way to give your cocktails a lift than with the biting spicy goodness of ginger? In syrup form it’s always on hand for when you need it, though you’ll be surprised at how quickly it disappears, particularly when you start pouring it over ice cream, oatmeal and frankly anything that’s put in front of you. So maybe make a double sized batch just in case! 
In this guide we show you a simple way to make this delicious super-food of a syrup, plus you’ll end up with a leftover pan of syrupy ginger slices… slices that taste SO good.
With that in mind, why not also take a look at our guide on how you can turn them into beautiful gems of candied, crystalized ginger in just a few steps. Ready to eat in minutes, they’ll disappear in no time! They’re great as a garnish in cocktails (the Tiki-Ti Five 0 is a perfect example), or even dropped in to your tea as an alternate flavorsome sweetener!
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Ginger Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Ginger Root (approx. 236g) - Look for ginger that is plump and fresh, not dry and wrinkled - the older the root the less spicy the taste
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar (approx. 236g) - White sugar works well, but you could just as easily replace with Demerara for a touch of extra molasses and richness - or of course a combination of both
- 1 cup Water (approx. 250ml)
Method
- Using the back of a spoon, start scraping the brown skin from the ginger. You’ll find it’s quicker, easier and safer than using a knife. If you really can’t be bothered with this part you can always leave it on - it won’t make any difference to the flavor - however, you’ll need to make sure you scrub it clean first. Also, bear in mind that if you leave the skin on you won’t be able to make the candied ginger pieces we mentioned.
- Once the skin is removed cut the ginger into slices, cubes or a mix of both. If you’re not making candied ginger then slim batons work well as they have a greater surface area, making it easier to extract their ginger juices.
- Add the sugar, water and ginger slices to a pan on a medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is clear once more (about 5 mins). Bring your syrup steadily to a boil, then drop the heat down low, placing the lid on the pan and simmer for 15-20 mins.
- Turn off the heat, keep the lid on the pan, allow to cool and continue steeping for around 2 hrs. Taste test and if it hits the spot go to the next step. If it doesn’t, leave it to continue macerating, tasting every hour or so until you get to where you want it to be. If after a few hours it’s still not as strong as you want it, you could pour the whole mix, ginger pieces and all, into a sterilised mason jar. Covered and kept in the fridge the ginger will continue to imbue the mixture with its flavor for a few days, reaching a peak around 5 days later. When it’s ready, move to the next stage.
- Using a sieve and funnel, pour the gingery infusion into a sterilized bottle (a cycle in the dishwasher will get your container nice and clean), reserving the ginger pieces for later use. The finished syrup will be slightly cloudy. There’s no need to filter further as the particulates you see in the mixture are what hold in all that lovely flavor.
- Cap it off and keep it in the fridge, shaking before use. It should keep for around 4 weeks. By adding an ounce of vodka or Everclear you'll extend its shelf life a few more weeks - just be sure to keep it away from the kids (and don’t use it before you drive!).
- Now... don’t bin all those lovely, sugary leftover ginger pieces. Check out our step-by-step guide to making candied ginger at home - you can jump right in at step 5 as you’ve already made most of it! (just remember to reserve 30ml of your ginger syrup).
Notes
Dialling up the ginger
Experimenting with any combination of the below will help you increase the intensity of your infusion.- Quantity: the greater the amount of ginger you put in, the greater the potential amount of juice that can be extracted. Meaning you’ll need less time to steep it to get to the same result, or if you steep it for the same time the flavor will be stronger.
- Surface Area: the more surface area of the ginger exposed to the liquid, the easier the juices can be extracted. So grating the ginger will expose the most area, and to a lesser degree, slivers or batons have a greater surface area than cubes (based on total volume used).
- Heat: accelerates the process, breaking down cell structures within the ginger and allowing the juice to more easily diffuse into the liquid. It also evaporates the water, concentrating the flavor by creating a reduction in liquid (see the last point on dilution).
- Time: macerate your ginger over a longer period and you’ll stand more chance of extracting as much of those tasty juices as possible. There is of course a limit based on the amount of ginger used in the first place, so you can’t just keep it boiling away or sitting in a jar forever hoping it’s going to get stronger and stronger.
- Dilution: and of course the more liquid you use in your syrup, the more diluted your final mixture.
An alternate ginger syrup method
But if you want to try something quite straight forward that’ll give you a kick like a mule:- Run your ginger through a juicer if you have one - or grate it finely and then squeeze the juice out through a cheese cloth.
- Make a syrup by adding 4 parts juice to 3 parts granulated sugar. For example, use 1 cup of juice to 3/4 cup of sugar. Then, either heat the mixture gently in a pan - or put it all in a sterilized mason jar and shake it like a polaroid picture.
- Pour the finished syrup into a sterilized bottle and you’re done!
Ginger drink recommendations
For an incredibly refreshing non-alcoholic drink, try mixing 3 parts soda water to one part syrup. Poured over ice it’s basically homemade ginger ale. Add a squeeze of fresh lime and you’ve got yourself a virgin Dark ’n Stormy. A couple of ounces of Goslings Rum brings you the rum-tastic real deal!
A classic tiki cocktail worth trying your new infusion in is Don the Beachcomber’s Q.B Cooler. A drink that may well have inspired the Mai Tai, the ginger syrup plays a supporting role in a well balanced cocktail.
Or for something more ‘ginger forward’, why not try Laka’s Nectar – mezcal, ginger beer and lime – what a combination! (Just make sure you use a half ounce of ginger syrup, plus half ounce of soda instead of the 1oz of ginger beer).
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