Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale

When it comes to this Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale recipe, it's all about the spicy ginger flavor paired with the bit of tartness from the lemon, which hand in hand helps with digestion and overall health. You can add a bit of fizz for a nice refreshing bubbly traditional ginger ale or keep things simple by drinking this lemony-ginger drink without any tweaks and as a hot tea. Completely healthy, naturally sweetened, easy to make, and perfect for any day or season. Vegan + Served Hot + Cold options.

Ginger ale is seriously everything! Growing up, I've always been a HUGE fan of ginger ale. Like many of you, I prefer a little 'bubbly' throughout the day (some of you may drink seltzer water or mineral water), especially during meals and it's been a lifesaver for digestion. However, I've always wanted to make my own Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale, but never got around to it----until now! And it's so insanely easy, I promise!

Coming from a Jamaican background, ginger tea has always been a staple, especially as a home remedy for any stomach troubles. Usually it's boiled and steeped for a bit before drinking and it's done wonders! Which is why boiling ginger isn't new to me at all. Surprisingly, eating raw ginger root has been another remedy that I am accustomed to if drinking it in hot tea form isn't something that you want to do or can do at the moment. I've created these Citrus Ginger Turmeric Ice Cubes for a nice convenient way of keeping these powerful ingredients handy! And if you need to utilize any leftover ginger, then you can easily turn it into this Pineapple Ginger Turmeric Lemonade for a nice sip!

Plus, this ginger ale is super easy to make, requires just a handful of ingredients, comes whipped together in under 30 minutes, great for the entire family, is naturally sweetened (with a vegan option), awesome for digestion, and is the perfect balance between spicy ginger + lemony flavors. 

What is Ginger Ale?

Basically, Ginger ale, despite its name, is completely alcohol-free. It is a carbonated soft drink originating in 1850's Ireland and made more popular in the United States and Canada in the early 1900's. In general, there are two main types of ginger ale: golden and dry. The first is the “golden style”, which has a stronger ginger flavor and a much richer, deep golden color. While the second is the “dry style” (also called the “pale style”)----which is a milder taste and comes in a much lighter color.

Why Homemade Ginger Ale?

Although ginger is a little harsh and spicy in it's raw form, chewing it in small pieces also helps with tummy troubles as well. One of the great things about this ginger ale recipe is that you have control over the ingredients that are included, so you don't have to worry about the unhealthy sugars and/or ingredients that the store-bought ginger ale drink may have.

For instance, you can use honey (maple or agave for my vegan peeps) as a natural sweetener if preferred, or perhaps a healthier sugar like organic brown sugar or cane sugar, if you prefer using granulated sugar---which will dissolve well in the steeped mixture. All in all, like many homemade drinks, this recipe allows you to have more control with the healthiest ingredients and you save money by being able to make more servings than a standard bottle.

What is Homemade Ginger Ale made of?

Basically, this homemade ginger ale recipe is whipped together by using water, ginger root, and lemon slices, followed by a sweetener of your choice (honey, maple syrup, etc.), and a bit of bubbly like a premium sparkling water or seltzer. Wallah!

How to Make Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale

Preparing this lemon ginger ale involves a few key elements: crushing a bit of ice for a cool sip, whipping up a lemon-ginger mixture by boiling them together with water (a nice steep adds more bold flavor), and finally, adding your sweetener and assembling your glass. Not to worry, though; the process is surprisingly straightforward and simple. Once you've got the mixture steeped + cooling, it's smooth sailing, and you can easily make a batch of this homemade lemon ginger ale to enjoy with the entire family!

The Ingredients

• Ginger Root. Imparts a warming, spicy note that complements the classic flavor of ginger ale.
• Lemon slices. Offer a citrusy burst and add additional health benefits to the mix. See post below for why lemon + ginger work perfectly hand in hand health-wise.
• Honey. Adds the sweetness. I love using organic raw honey for the most natural sweetener. You can also use pure maple syrup, Agave, organic brown sugar, or cane sugar, if desired.
• Filtered water.
• Premium sparkling water. I love S.Pellegrino as a nice sparkling mineral water. Adds effervescence and a little bubbly like the traditional ginger ale. You can also use seltzer water or a bubbly tonic like Olipop (they have a great lemon ginger flavor too), etc.

Does Ginger Ale Normally Have Lemon in it?

Nope. Usually, ginger ale doesn't include lemon, but in recent years, adding lemon or lime has been the craze and it's a good craze! Plus, I also like the idea of adding lemon as opposed to a regularly flavored ginger ale, because it adds a nice balance of flavor to this drink. In addition, lemon is a great detoxifier, great source of vitamin c, promotes hydration, and a ton of other great health benefits.

Did You Know that Lemon + Ginger work Amazginly Together Health-wise?

More importantly, lemon and ginger together does wonders to the body as well! Hand in hand, both ingredients have amazing antioxidant and immune-boosting effects, stimulate your metabolism, treats nausea and indigestion, improves cognitive function, excellent aides in skincare, promotes weight loss, relieves pain, and a few other amazing benefits. I'll dig a bit deeper below.

Easy Steps to Making Homemade Ginger Ale

STEP 1: Boil the ingredients together + steep. You'll begin by boiling the water and adding in the prepped ginger root pieces and lemon slices, continuing to boil for a few more minutes. Then remove from heat, steep for a bit for bolder flavor and wallah.

STEP 2: Sweeten the mixture + let cool. Once fully steeped, stir in your fave sweetener like honey, maple syrup, Agave, etc. (adjust based on desired level of sweetness). Discard the ginger + lemon.

STEP 3: Assemble + enjoy. You can serve up your ginger ale in your favorite glass filled with ice followed by the lemon-ginger mixture and topped with premium sparkling water or seltzer for a nice bubbly. Sip and enjoy! Repeat for every serving.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Lemon + Ginger together:

Helps to Relieve Pain:

When it comes to ginger specifically, which has it's anti-inflammatory properties, it can also acts as a pain reliever and helps your body recover from body pain, menstrual cramps, surgeries, and other illnesses. So the next time you find yourself contemplating on whether to take another pain killer, try using ginger (tea specifically) as a natural home remedy.

Improves Cognitive Function:

Yes, I know. I wasn't aware of this either, however, lemon and ginger combined does wonders to our brains. Overall, they are great at soothing specific nerves and improving our mood. As a result, it allows us to think more clearly, and the antioxidant properties eliminates oxidative stress and helps to lower our chances of Alzheimers and dementia.

Improves Skin Care:

When it comes to antioxidants and certain vitamins, we know that this obviously helps with skincare. However, when it comes to lemon and ginger combined, specifically, you are able to drink them together to improve your skin health or apply them topically to your irritated skin for healing. Also, because of their antibacterial and antiviral properties, you can use both ingredients to prevent any infection of the skin.

Helps with the Health of your Hair:

While each ingredient has been used individually to help your overall hair health, combining them actually boosts your vitamin A and C, which helps to promote hair growth. They both also help to reduce dry skin and dandruff naturally, so this is a great alternative to using specific products that may be overall harmful and not entirely natural.

Helps to Control Diabetes:

Ginger specifically, have been linked to keeping your blood sugar levels at bay, which is good for anyone who suffers from Diabetes. However, research shows that lemon also plays a great role in helping to control Diabetes as well. The soluble fiber and Vitamin C in lemon helps to reduce your blood sugar levels, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol.

Add-ins and Variations

When it comes to homemade ginger ale, you can enjoy the leisure of mix and matching ingredients for a nice twist on classic ginger ale. The best way to incorporate more flavor is through the boiling and steep process. Here are a few ingredients that work great:

Classic Ginger: You can always make this ginger ale in it's classic flavor without the use of lemon if preferred. Just add an additional 1 cup of chopped ginger for a bolder flavor.

Green Tea: You can use loose tea leaves or a tea bag of a premium brand for a nice kick of flavor.

Herbs + Spices: Adding herbs + spices is a great way to switch things up in terms of the taste and to add additional benefits to this drink. I love adding things like mint leaves, basil, rosemary, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, turmeric, and nutmeg.

Fruits: You can add fruits that go well with ginger + lemon for a nice twist like blackberries, raspberries, pineapples, pears, passionfruit, cranberries, etc.

Common Q + A's for this Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale

Serving with Alcohol

More Refreshing Drink Recipes

Now that you've fallen in love with the ginger + lemon flavors in this recipe, put simple ingredients to good use in the following refreshing drinks:

• Cucumber Ginger Lemon Detox Juice
• Simple Lime Rickey Mocktail
• Pineapple Jalapeño Lime Mocktail
• Frozen Pineapple Margarita Mocktail
• Dirty Chai Espresso Martini [Mocktail]
• Coconut Mojito Mocktail with Green Tea
• Brown Sugar Peach Mint Julep Mocktail
• Apple Cider Vinegar Detox Lemonade
• Holiday Pomegranate Ginger Mocktai

MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?

If you tried this Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you.

Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale

October 28, 2023 •

By Shanika

5 from 5 votes

This Easy Homemade Lemon Ginger Ale is an incredible way to aide in digestion, calm an upset stomach, and boost your immune system and reset everything in between daily consumption with just a few simple, easy steps! The perfect drink for the entire family.

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Serves: 6 servings

Units:

US Customary|Metric

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Ingredients

LEMON GINGER ALE:

• 6 cups filtered water
• 1 cup chopped + peeled ginger root
• 3 organic lemons, sliced
• 1 ½ cups organic raw honey or maple syrup (Reduce or increase based on desired sweetness level)
• sparkling water or seltzer, premium
• crushed ice

Instructions

BOIL THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER + STEEP:

• In a large pot over medium-high heat, add water and let it begin to boil. Once boiling, add chopped ginger root and sliced lemons and boil for 5 minutes before reducing to simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and cover ginger-lemon mixture to steep for about 25-30 minutes to ensure that flavors are fully infused and potent. This is optional, but produces the best results.

SWEETEN MIXTURE:

• Once fully steeped, add in the sweetener (adjust based on desired sweetness level) and discard the ginger root pieces and lemon slices. Let everything cool completely!
• Once cooled, pour lemon-ginger mixture into a pitcher.

ASSEMBLE GINGER ALE:

• Add crushed ice to a standard size glass and fill ¾ of the glass with the cooled lemon ginger mixture. Then top with premium sparkling water or seltzer and garnish with a lemon slice, if desired. Repeat for every serving.
• Sip and Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• STORAGE: Leftover lemon-ginger mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5. days without the added fizz. NOTE: Can be enjoyed as a traditional Ginger Ale or enjoyed without the fizz and served hot or cold. 
• SWEETENER: You can always use maple syrup, raw honey, Agave, or organic brown sugar or cane sugar, if desired. Adjust based on desired sweetness level.
• SERVING SIZE: To make additional ginger ale, simply double or triple ingredients, depending on need.
• HEALTH BENEFITS: To see the health benefits of each ingredient, see the ENTIRE POST.

Nutrition

Sodium: 12mg | Calcium: 7mg

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