Homemade Ginger Ale is easy to make, sweet, spicy, and refreshing. You can make the syrup in advance to make a glass whenever you want.
Jump to:
Why This Is The Best Homemade Ginger Ale!
With just four ingredients, this ginger ale will become your favorite refreshing beverage or mixer. It has the flavor of real ginger and can be made for a crowd or one glass at a time.
Homemade Ginger Ale is made with a ginger simple syrup and plain seltzer or sparkling water. It is very similar to Italian sodas made with Torani syrups, where you control the amount of flavor in each drink by varying the amount of syrup and sparkling water.
So, this recipe begins with making a super easy-to-make homemade ginger simple syrup. The syrup is then combined with sparkling water and ice in a glass.
I've made this homemade ginger ale often for company on hot days because it is a way to make a simple drink very special. Everyone gets to have just the right sweetness in a timeless summer refresher. Doesn't that sound delicious? Great!
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
- White Granulated Sugar - White sugar is best for this beverage. It lets the ginger flavor dominate the flavor of the syrup.
- Water - Just plain tap water is fine.
- Fresh Ginger Root - Purchase a little more than you need. The ginger root needs to be peeled, which will reduce the amount.
- Plain Sparkling Water or Seltzer - Sparkling water plus a ginger simple syrup makes a sparkling ginger ale.
Please see the recipe card for the quantities.
How to Make Homemade Ginger Ale
Make Ginger Simple Syrup. Peel and thinly slice the ginger root. An "old-school" pivoting peeler or the edge of a spoon works well to peel the ginger.
Add water, sugar, and sliced ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Strain and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Make a Glass of Ginger Ale. Add ice to a 12-to-16-ounce glass and pour 2 to 4 tablespoons of the ginger simple syrup over the ice.
Top off the ginger simple syrup with sparkling water and give it a stir. If desired, add a garnish and a straw.
My Top Tip
♡ If I plan on serving homemade ginger ale to a gathering of 6 to 8 people, I typically triple the recipe and make the ginger simple syrup the day before. This lets the syrup get nice and cold and I always have enough for everyone to have more than one glass.
Variations
- Lemon Ginger Ale - Use lemon-flavored sparkling water to make the ginger ale.
- Vanilla Ginger Ale - Add one-half of a vanilla bean pod when making the ginger simple syrup.
- Shirley Temple - Add a splash of grenadine syrup while making a glass of ginger ale and garnish with a maraschino cherry.
Make-Ahead and Storage
The ginger simple syrup can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.
♡ Did you love this Homemade Ginger Ale? Please leave a star rating and a comment below!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Ginger Ale
Want to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
For the Ginger Simple Syrup
- 4 Ounces Fresh Ginger Root, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ Cups Plain Water
- 1 Cup White Granulated Sugar
For Individual Servings of Ginger Ale
- 4 Tablespoons Ginger Simple Syrup
- Sparkling Water or Seltzer
Instructions
- Make Ginger Simple Syrup. Peel and thinly slice the ginger root. An "old-school" pivoting peeler or the edge of a spoon works well to peel the ginger.Add water, sugar, and sliced ginger to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.Cool to room temperature. Strain and store in a covered container in the refrigerator.4 Ounces Fresh Ginger Root, 1 ½ Cups Plain Water, 1 Cup White Granulated Sugar
- Make a Glass of Ginger Ale. Add ice to a 12-to-16-ounce glass and pour 2 to 4 tablespoons of the ginger simple syrup over the ice.Top off the ginger simple syrup with sparkling water and give it a stir. If desired, add a garnish and a straw.4 Tablespoons Ginger Simple Syrup, Sparkling Water or Seltzer
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
Encharted Cook™ or Jan Nunes shall not be liable for adverse reactions or any other outcome resulting from the use of recipes or recommendations on this website or actions you take as a result.
© 2018-2025 Encharted Cook, Jan Nunes. All rights reserved.
Kathy Brooks says
Excellent! Perfect. Best ginger ale I've ever made or drank!!!
Jan Nunes says
Hi Kathy,
I'm so glad you enjoy the ginger ale!😊
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan
Kelly MacDonald says
Turned out Great but I used coconut sugar instead
Jan Nunes says
Hi Kelly,
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I love the idea of using coconut sugar... that sounds delicious!
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan
Kathy Brooks says
I have made this several times, Jan. This is so easy to make and is so delicious and refreshing!! Perfect for a hot summer day! And also if you have a bit of an upset stomach. I love this recipe.
Jan Nunes says
Hi Kathy,
I'm so glad you enjoy my ginger ale recipe! It's still one of my favorites for entertaining.
Have a wonderful day! ~Jan