A basic, must-have ingredient for the serious soda crafter, ginger syrup is an excellent starter recipe. Stirred into a glass of icy seltzer, it makes a zingy, invigorating soda with just enough bite to be interesting. As a building block for more complicated drink blends, this syrup adds depth with its warm spice and clean citrus note. For a more traditional ginger syrup that will make a classic ginger ale, omit the lemon zest.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

　　2 ounces fresh unpeeled ginger (about the size of the first part of your thumb)

　　1 cup water

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　2 pieces lemon zest

　　

Step 1

Wash the ginger well in hot water. Using a Microplane zester, grate the ginger, carefully reserving the juice and pulp.

　　

Step 2

In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a gentle boil. Add the ginger and lemon zest, and remove the pan from the heat. Cover the pan and steep for about 45 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Strain the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 14 days.

　　Ginger Ale

　　For one drink, fill a tall glass with ice. Add 3 tablespoons of the Ginger Syrup, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, top with seltzer, and mix gently.

　　Reprinted with permission from Make Your Own Soda: Syrup Recipes for All-Natural Pop, Floats, Cocktails, and More by Anton Nocito with Lynn Marie Hulsman. Copyright © 2013 by Anton Nocito; photographs copyright © 2013 by Alexandra Grablewski. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisherAnton Nocito is the founder of P&H Soda Co., an all-natural soda syrup company located in Brooklyn, New York. Nocito is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and was an executive sous chef within the Union Square Hospitality Group, as well as other restaurants in New York City and Long Island.