Recipe: Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain Homemade Ginger Syrup and Ginger Soda

GINGER SYRUP
"Unlike most other sodas, the histories of which are inextricably tied to America, ginger-flavored sodas originated in England in the mid-eighteenth century. (It was brewed ginger beer that was popular then, as opposed to the ginger ale that we are more accustomed to now.) The incisive and spicy flavor of ginger is very volatile and degrades quickly, so use this syrup shortly after making it."



2 cups (8 ounces) unpeeled, washed, coarsely chopped fresh ginger
2 cups (16 ounces) cane sugar
3 cups (24 ounces) water
1 (1x1-inch) piece washed and unpeeled piece fresh ginger

Put the 2 cups chopped ginger, sugar, and the 3 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Decrease the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

Remove from the heat and pour through a strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract all the liquid they still retain. Discard the contents of the strainer and let the syrup cool to room temperature.

Grate the 1x1-inch piece of ginger into a small strainer set over a glass or mug. Press the solids against the mesh of the strainer with the back of a teaspoon to extract all the juice they still retain. Add 1 teaspoon of the ginger juice (or more if your taste buds demand it) to the cooled ginger syrup and stir. Chill before using.

Store the syrup in covered glass jars or plastic containers in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Makes 4 cups

GINGER SODA

Ice
1/4 cup (2 ounces) of Ginger Syrup (recipe above)
Seltzer

To make a ginger soda, fill a 12-ounce glass halfway with ice, add Ginger Syrup, top with seltzer, and stir gently with a soda spoon to combine.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Ten Speed Press
Source: The Soda Fountain by Gia Giasullo and Peter Freeman, Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda Fountain