BY CAMPER ENGLISH

Homemade Ginger Soda

Sloth is the mother of invention, at least in my house. The other day I really wanted a gin and ginger ale to drink, but was fresh out of ginger ale. (I would never let the gin run dry.) Far too lazy to put on pants and walk the 300 feet to the corner deli, I came up with a solution: homemade ginger ale. Well, not ale, exactly, because I wasn’t going to wait around for ginger to ferment with yeast, but a ginger soda. A few days earlier I bought some ginger root to make simple syrup for use in cocktails. Most sodas are merely flavored syrup plus soda water, so I knew I would have something tasty to drink. A quick 40 minutes later, I had a gin and ginger soda, without the hassle of a two-minute walk to the store!

Ginger Syrup
Approx. 3 ounces of thinly chopped, peeled ginger root
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
Simmer everything in a medium sauce pan for 30-40 minutes. Keep refrigerated after cooling. It should last a few weeks in the refrigerator or add a shot of vodka to make it last longer.

Ginger Soda
1 ounce ginger syrup
6 or so ounces soda water
For maximum deliciousness, add gin and half a lime.