Homemade Ginger Lime Soda
A fresh ginger syrup that keeps two weeks in the fridge, cut with lime and cold sparkling water by the glass.
Recipes and Things · Wes Hadley
Posted Sept. 12, 2026 · about 1 cup syrup, 8 glasses
Posted Sept. 12, 2026 · about 1 cup syrup, 8 glasses
Store-bought ginger ale is mostly sugar with a hint of ginger. A syrup made from a hand of fresh ginger has a heat that sits in the back of the throat, which is the part people actually like.
Make the syrup once and a glass takes thirty seconds for the rest of the week.
What you need
| How much | What |
|---|---|
| 4 oz | fresh ginger, sliced thin, peel on |
| 3/4 cup | sugar |
| 1 cup | water |
| 2 | limes |
| 1 bottle | cold sparkling water |
How to make it
- Simmer the ginger, sugar and water in a small pot for 15 minutes.
- Take it off the heat, add the zest of one lime and let it steep 20 minutes.
- Strain into a jar, pressing on the ginger. Cool and refrigerate.
- For each glass: 2 tbsp syrup, the juice of half a lime, ice, and sparkling water to the top.
Cook’s notes
- Leave the peel on. It is thin, and most of the flavor sits right under it.
- The syrup keeps two weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge.
FAQ
Can I make it less sweet?
Use 1/2 cup sugar. The syrup keeps a little less long, about a week.