Add sparkling water and ice to this easily made syrup to produce the best ginger ale you’ve ever tasted. Incredible with rum, the syrup is also a quick way to add ginger flavor to stir-fries and other dishes.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 2 cups syrup, enough for about 16

　　3/4 cup fresh ginger, sliced or roughly chopped (don’t bother to peel)

　　1 cup sugar

　　Sparkling water

　　Lemon or lime wedges for garnish

　　

Step 1

Place the ginger, sugar, and 2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool.

　　

Step 2

Strain the syrup and store, refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks. To serve, combine 2 tablespoons (more or less according to taste) syrup in a glass with ice, sparkling water, and a wedge of fresh lemon or lime.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.