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    Home » Recent Posts » Simple Syrups for Drinks

    How to Make Ginger Syrup for Cocktails and Mocktails 

    Published: Aug 15, 2022 · Updated: Nov 16, 2022 by Katy McAvoy

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    Homemade ginger syrup is great for making flavorful cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. It pairs well with bourbon, gin, and vodka. Ginger simple syrup is also delicious alongside apples, peaches, or blueberries.

    A small pitcher of ginger simple syrup.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients 
    • How to Make Ginger Simple Syrup
    • Use Your Ginger Syrup in These Drinks
    • Tips 
    • Frequently Asked Questions 
    • Don’t Miss These Flavorful Simple Syrups 
    • More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love 
    • Print the Recipe
    • Ginger Simple Syrup for Drinks

    The popularity of Moscow Mule cocktails has made ginger flavor a popular choice in cocktail recipes. Ginger simple syrup is a great way to experiment with adding a little ginger to your drinks. This three ingredient simple syrup recipe comes together quickly and adds a delicious, slightly spicy flavor in cocktails as well as mocktails. 

    A lot of ginger syrup recipes call for grinding up the whole ginger root in a food processor, but while good for a sore throat, I find that style creates too strong of a ginger syrup for mixed drinks. We’re creating a syrup with the subtle flavor of a ginger liqueur. Something that will impart a little ginger flavor without taking over the drink. 

    For this recipe, fresh ginger slices are combined with sugar and water to create a versatile syrup. Try it as a sweetener for iced tea or apple cider, or mixed with some club soda or soda water for your own, homemade ginger ale. 

    Ingredients 

    Ingredients for ginger simple syrup.
    • Fresh ginger root
    • Cane sugar
    • Water 

    How to Make Ginger Simple Syrup

    Peel your ginger root. Cut it into thin slices. Set aside. 

    Hands holding a ginger root and using a spoon to peel it.

    Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sugar and stir until dissolved. 

    Sugar being poured into a small pot.

    Add ginger slices. Stir, then set syrup aside for 2 hours to allow the ginger time to infuse as the syrup cools to room temperature. 

    Slices of ginger floating in a pot of syrup.

    Remove the ginger pieces using a slotted spoon or fork. 

    A fork lifting pieces of ginger root out of a pot of syrup.

    Chill syrup completely before using. 

    Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    A small pitcher of ginger syrup.

    Use Your Ginger Syrup in These Drinks

    Ginger simple syrup is delicious in so many cocktails and mocktails. Check out these recipes below and discover your new favorite drink!

    A cocktail shaking pouring an apple orchard cocktail into a coupe glass.
    Apple Orchard Cocktail
    Non Alcoholic Red Sangria Mocktails
    Non Alcoholic Red Sangria Mocktails
    Ginger Bourbon Sour
    Ginger Bourbon Sour
    Orange Ginger Gin Cocktail
    Orange Ginger Gin Cocktail

    Tips 

    Make your syrup ahead of your happy hour. Ginger simple syrup should be cold before using it in your drinks. Be sure to make your syrup a few hours ahead of when you want to sip your drinks so there’s enough time to chill it in the refrigerator. 

    Strain your syrup. There may be small pieces of ginger root in your syrup after you’ve removed the large pieces. These are fine to leave in the ginger syrup, but if it bothers you simply strain them out by pouring the finished syrup through a fine mesh sieve before using. 

    Use a spoon to peel your ginger root. The easiest way to peel fresh ginger is to scrape a spoon gently across the skin of the ginger root. The peel will come away easily without taking off much of the root. It’s also easy to get into the ginger root’s little nooks and crannies with a spoon.

    Hands peeling a piece of ginger root using a spoon.

    Frequently Asked Questions 

    Where do I find ginger root? 

    Ginger root can be found in the produce section of your local grocery store. In mine, it’s stored by the root vegetables (parsnips, turnips, carrots, etc.). 

    Do I have to peel the ginger? 

    Yes. It only takes a few minutes to peel your ginger root with a spoon. Ginger peel has a bitter taste to it, so adding the ginger root to the hot syrup without peeling it will impart that bitterness into your syrup. 

    What do I do with leftover ginger? 

    Chances are you weren’t able to buy a small piece of ginger and now have lots of fresh ginger on hand. I peel and slice my leftover ginger, then freeze it in a zip-top bag and use the slices in smoothies or add some to hot water with honey to make ginger tea. You can also use up some of that fresh ginger for dinner with my Sweet and Citrus Garlic Sauce. 

    Can I use powdered ginger?

    No. Using powdered ginger from the spice section of your grocery store will not give a strong enough ginger flavor and is extremely difficult to strain out of your syrup. You need to use fresh ginger root in this recipe. 

    What can I use besides sugar? 

    Agave nectar can be used in place of the white sugar if you’d prefer. Using a sweetener like brown sugar or maple syrup is delicious, but will change the flavor of your ginger syrup. 

    How long does ginger syrup last? 

    When kept refrigerated, ginger simple syrup will keep for 2 weeks. 

    How can I tell when my simple syrup has gone bad? 

    Ginger syrup is naturally cloudy, so it’s hard to tell if it’s gone bad by just looking at it. Use a dry erase marker to note the date you made the syrup on the bottle so you can easily tell when it’s time to pour it out. As with any food, if it changes color or smell, toss it immediately. 

    Don’t Miss These Flavorful Simple Syrups 

    Lavender Simple Syrup in a glass bottle.
    Lavender Simple Syrup
    Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup
    Sweet Cherry Simple Syrup

    More Delicious Recipes You’ll Love 

    • Light and Fizzy Bourbon Ginger Cocktail (Video)
    • Pumpkin Ginger Martini (without Cinnamon) - Video
    • Easy and Summery Lavender Lemon Drop Martini with Vodka
    • Quick Blueberry French 75 Cocktail is Perfect for Summer
    • Quick Sparkling Non Alcoholic Peach Sangria with Fresh Peaches

    Print the Recipe

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    Ginger Simple Syrup for Drinks

    A small pitcher of ginger simple syrup.
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Homemade ginger syrup is great for making flavorful cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. It pairs well with bourbon, gin, and vodka. Ginger simple syrup is also delicious with apples, peaches, or blueberries.

    • Author: Katy McAvoy
    • Prep Time: 5 min
    • Cook Time: 5 min
    • Total Time: 10 min
    • Yield: 6 oz 1x
    • Category: Simple Syrup
    • Method: Stove Top
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • ½ cup of sugar
    • ½ cup of water
    • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger

    Instructions

    Peel and slice the ginger.

    Combine sugar and hot water, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

    Add the ginger slices to the hot water and sugar mixture.

    Allow ginger to steep in the syrup until the mixture cools completely, approximately 2 hours.

    Cool syrup completely before using. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Equipment

    Image of Glass Bottles

    Glass Bottles

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    Fine Mesh Sieve

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    Notes

    The longer you leave the ginger in the syrup, the stronger the flavor. If you want a stronger ginger flavor, make the syrup 24 hours in advance to allow the ginger more time to infuse the syrup. Do not leave the ginger in the syrup for more than 48 hours. Doing so will shorten the syrup’s shelf life.

    Keywords: ginger simple syrup, ginger syrup, syrup for cocktails, syrup for mocktails, non alcoholic, mocktail

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    Share a photo and tag me @katymcavoy on Instagram! I can’t wait to see what you made!

    Simple Syrups for Drinks

    • How to Make Grapefruit Simple Syrup for Drinks
    • Homemade Cinnamon Simple Syrup for Coffee, Cocktails, and Mocktails
    • How to Make Homemade Pear Simple Syrup
    • Homemade Raspberry Simple Syrup for Cocktails and Mocktails

    I love when you share my recipes!

    About Katy McAvoy

    Katy is the author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, and Michigander behind MittenGirl.com. Since 2017, she's been crafting easy-to-make cocktails and delicious meals, along with sharing her love of all things Michigan (a.k.a. The Mitten)!

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    Katy McAvoy

    Hi! I’m Katy (she/her). I’m an author, photographer, home cook, mixologist, Michigander, and lover of all things food and drink. I never turn down a good happy hour and believe that a couple hours of meal prep pays off for days. Follow me on Instagram to check out what I’m working on next!

    More about me →

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