Did you know there’s not actually any ginger in many of the ginger drinks you can buy commercially – but there is a ridiculous amount of sugar! We aren’t fans of any soft drinks but on hot days sometimes water doesn’t cut it and this drink, a cross between a lemonade and ginger ale has to be one of the most refreshing beverages in the sunshine with the added bonus that it’s doing you good too.
Ginger contains some amazing nutrients and is a potent anti-inflammatory spice. It is great for aiding digestion, stimulates circulation and supports detoxification among many of its health benefits. We love to use it whenever we can and this is one of the quickest and easiest ways to ensure you’re getting a good dose.
If you have a juicer, halve the amount of ginger and juice it instead which will give a stronger and more intense flavour (although does have the side effect of having to wash the juicer out afterwards!). I find grating works really well as you can extract a lot of the juice out by bashing the bits up with a pestle or rolling pin.
We also use the peel of the lemon as this is where the more powerful nutrients are stored, especially limonene, an important antioxidant that is very protective to our skin and cells as well as supporting the liver. Rosemary adds a burst of flavour but more importantly is another great anti-inflammatory ingredient.
If you don’t have coconut sugar to hand, substitute with xylitol, maple syrup or raw honey although we like to use coconut sugar for it’s caramel flavour that perfectly compliments the ginger.
- 100 g ginger grated
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar or xylitol
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 litre sparkling water
- Wash the ginger and grate into a medium sized bowl (there is no need to peel first).
- Add the lemon zest, coconut sugar and rosemary and using a pestle, bash the ingredients together until they have released their juices and are fully softened (about a minute).
- Add the lemon juice and half the water to the bowl and stir thoroughly. Pour the liquid through a sieve and press down firmly ensuring all the liquid is squeezed out from the pulp.
- Fill a jug with ice, pour in the juice and add the remaining water, give it a quick stir and serve. We like to garnish with extra rosemary.
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