Ingredients:
- 2 oz Fresh Orange Juice
- 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- ½ oz Ginger Syrup (recipe below)
- 2 oz Soda Water
- 1½ oz White Rum
- Fresh Mint Leaves
- Ice Cubes
- In a shaker, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, ginger syrup, and white rum (if using) with a handful of mint leaves. Fill with ice.
- Shake well until the outside of the shaker feels cold.
- Strain into a highball glass filled with ice.
- Top off with soda water for a refreshing fizz.
- Garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of orange or a twist of lemon peel.
To Make the Ginger Syrup:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
Instructions:
- Prepare the Ginger: Start by peeling the ginger root and slicing it thinly. This increases the surface area, allowing more flavor to infuse into the syrup.
- Combine Ingredients: In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar. Add the sliced ginger. Stir everything together over medium heat.
- Dissolve the Sugar: Continue to stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved into the water. This usually takes a few minutes.
- Simmer: Once the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer gently. You don't want it to boil vigorously, as that can break down the ginger's flavor compounds too much. Simmer for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how strong you want the ginger flavor to be. A longer simmer time will result in a stronger ginger taste.
- Cool and Strain: After simmering, remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove all the ginger pieces. Press or squeeze the ginger in the sieve to extract as much syrup as possible.
- Bottle and Store: Transfer the strained syrup to a clean bottle or jar. Seal it tightly with a lid. Store the ginger syrup in the refrigerator. It should keep well for up to a month.