5 Refreshing Ginger Drinks to Enjoy this Summer

Cocktails and mocktails are the perfect summer refreshment after a long day at work! With the weather warming up, we wanted to share 5 refreshing ginger drinks to enjoy this summer. All of these refreshing drinks were created by our very own team member Amy Kruger and they use ginger in some way or another. Ginger has a delicious flavor and adds a refreshing spice to these drinks. Cheers!

Did you know? 
Ginger not only tastes great in these cocktails (don’t worry we did extensive research 😉 ), but it also has a ton of health benefits, including some anti-inflammatory properties and gastrointestinal relief. FUN FACT! A lot of people think ginger is a root, but it is actually classified as a rhizome – an underground stem! 

Cocktail/mocktail Recipes

Masala Chai Cocktail
Ingredients / Recipe
1 tsp Kosa Masala Chai Powder placed in a tea infuser or tea bag
8 oz  Hot Water
2 oz Aged Rum
3/4 oz Ginger Syrup (recipe below)
3/4 oz Lemon juice
3/4 oz Steeped Chai Tea (see above)

Garnish (optional)
Lemon Wheel
Lemon Zest
Grated Ginger
Pinch of Masala Chai Powder

Steep the Chai powder in the hot water for 15-30 minutes. 
To mix the cocktail, add the rum, ginger syrup, lemon juice, and just 3/4 oz of the steeped tea into your cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds to combine all the ingredients. Pour into a coupe glass and garnish. Add a bit more spice to the garnish of this drink for flavor as well as looks. Float a lemon wheel on the surface of the drink and add some grated fresh ginger. Top that with some lemon zest and sprinkle with a pinch of the Masala Chai Powder. We used a masala chai powder from Kosa Spa in this recipe. 

Ginger Syrup Recipe
⅓ c Ginger Root, peeled and sliced into thin discs
½ c Water
½ c Sugar

In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and add the ginger root. Bring the solution to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Strain and allow the syrup to cool. Store extra syrup in a glass jar in your refrigerator or freezer.

Dark & Stormy
Ingredients / Recipe
4 oz Ginger Beer
2 oz Aged Dark Rum
2 dashes bitters (We love Bittercube)
1 lime wedge
1 lime wheel

This drink is made in reverse order to get the separation of ginger beer and rum so it looks like a stormy sky. Fill a glass with ice and pour in 4 oz of ginger beer. Top with 2 dashes of bitters and your dark rum. Squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into the drink and then discard. Cut halfway through your lime wheel and place it on the rim of your glass. We used ginger beer from Top Note Tonic, but feel free to use whatever ginger beer you like!

Bitter Hearts Cocktail & Tender Hearts Mocktail
Ingredients / Recipe
2oz Ginger Juice from Keur Fatou Catering
2oz J Henry Bourbon
¾ oz Lime Juice
1 Egg White
3 drops Angostura Bitters

Put the egg white, lime, ginger juice and bourbon into a cocktail shaker or jar, one that has a seal that you trust. When shaking egg whites you can use a canning jar. Add a few ice cubes and give this a good long shake. Shake this drink for four full minutes to get creamy foam. To avoid over diluting the drink, add three ice cubes per cocktail to my shaking jar. Pour the drink into your serving glass and carefully place three dots of bitters in a row near the rim of your glass. Drag a toothpick through the dots to create your bitter hearts. We suggest Ginger Juice from Keur Fatou Catering and you can find them now at the Hilldale Farmers’ Market! 

Tender Hearts Mocktail
2 oz Ginger Juice from Keur Fatou Catering
2 oz Brewed Black Tea such as Orange Pekoe
3/4 oz Lime Juice

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, add ice, and shake 15 seconds. Strain into a serving glass. Garnish with a wedge of lime. 

Basil Stratton Mocktail

Ingredients/Recipe
2 oz Grapefruit Juice
½ oz Basil Syrup (see recipe below)
4 oz Ginger Beer
2 Basil Leaves plus more for garnish
1 Strip of Grapefruit Zest

In the bottom of your serving glass, muddle 2 basil leaves. On top of the basil add the grapefruit juice and basil syrup. Add ice and top with ginger beer. Give the drink a quick stir and slide the zest strip in along the side of the glass and pop in the remaining basil. 

Basil Syrup Recipe
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
1 cup Basil Leaves
Bring the sugar and water to a boil allowing the sugar to dissolve. Lower the heat to reduce liquid to a simmer and add the basil. Cook for three minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let the syrup steep for about 15 minutes. Strain into a jar.

CHEERS!