Quench your thirst with a glass of tangy and sweet honey ginger lemonade. Made with fresh ginger, honey, and lemon juice, it's perfect for hot summer days and can be easily customized.
There’s nothing quite as thirst quenching as an icy cold glass of lemonade on a hot day; that sweet and sour combination hits the spot every time. Lively, tart and super-refreshing, it’s a warm weather favorite for good reason. And while a glass of good old fashioned lemonade is pretty perfect on its own, I like to add a bit of a kick to the classic every once in a while, that’s when this honey ginger lemonade comes into play.
It starts off very simply with lemon juice and a simple syrup made from water and honey; into that goes the “zing”, a few ounces of fresh and fiery ginger. The ginger adds a spicy note, a pleasant heat at the back of your throat that makes the honey and lemon sing. It’s tangy and sweet with a nice depth of flavor thanks to the honey. Once the ginger syrup is made, it’s easy to mix up a pitcher whenever the mood strikes.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe. As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Honey – Use a good quality raw honey for the best flavor.
- Ginger – You’ll need fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated on a microplane zester.
- Lemon Juice - Use fresh squeezed lemon juice not bottled.
How to Make Honey Ginger Lemonade:
(Here are the basic steps and some helpful tips on how to make the recipe. Find the full directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)
- Start by making the honey ginger simple syrup. Heat together the honey, water and ginger in a saucepan, then cover and let the mixture steep to allow the ginger to infuse the syrup. Strain the syrup thorough a fine mesh sieve and chill until cold. (The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.)
- To make the lemonade, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the honey ginger syrup to a large pitcher. Add cold water and refrigerate until ready to serve or serve immediately poured over ice filled glasses and topped with a slice of lemon.
Variations
Once you’ve got the basics in place you can play around with an endless number of variations
- Add a little vodka or gin, and this sweet and spicy lemonade transforms into a cocktail.
- Prefer your lemonade with a bit of fizz? Use sparkling water instead.
- Add apple cider vinegar and transform your lemonade into a glass of switchel.
- Or swap out some of the water for coconut water for extra electrolytes and you have a tastier alternative to store-bought sports drinks.
- Want extra probiotics? Add a shot of coconut water kefir as well.
- In the mood for something even more refreshing? Make popsicles or churn in an ice cream maker for an extra refreshing treat.
- Have a scratchy throat or feeling a cold coming on? Use Manuka honey instead.
- Looking for something a little fruitier? Add a cup of pineapple juice.
Perfect for parties and picnics or on a hot summer day, you'll find yourself stirring up this honey ginger lemonade time after time.
More Summer Drinks:
Honey Ginger Lemonade Recipe
Quench your thirst with a glass of tangy and sweet honey ginger lemonade. Made with fresh ginger, honey, and lemon juice, it's perfect for hot summer days and can be easily customized.
Ingredients
For the honey ginger syrup:
- ¼ cup/84g raw honey
- ½ cup/120ml water (filtered or spring)
- 3oz/90g fresh ginger root, peeled and finely grated on a microplane zester
For the lemonade:
- 1 cup/240ml fresh squeezed lemon juice,
- 4 cups/950ml cold filtered or spring water
- 1 recipe for honey ginger syrup
- Ice for serving
- Sliced lemons for garnish
Variations
- For Variations See NOTES section below.
Instructions
To make the honey ginger simple syrup:
- Place the honey, ginger and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer stirring until honey is completely dissolved. Turn off heat, cover and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
- Strain syrup thorough a fine mesh sieve, pressing hard on the ginger pulp discarding the solids. Pour into a bottle or jar, and chill until cold, about 1 hour. The syrup will keep in your refrigerator for up to two weeks.
To make the lemonade:
- Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the honey ginger syrup to a large pitcher. Add cold water (more or less depending on how strong you like your lemonade).
- Refrigerate until ready to serve (or pour into popsicle mold or churn in ice cream maker.)
- Pour lemonade over ice filled glasses, top with a slice of lemon.
Notes
Variations:
- Replace 1 cup water with vodka or gin
- Replace ½ the water with sparkling water (If you are using sparkling water don’t add it until you are ready to serve so that it doesn’t lose its fizz. )
- Replace 1 cup water with coconut water
- Add ¼ cup/60ml apple cider vinegar
- Add ½ cup/120ml coconut water kefir
- Add 1 cup/240ml fresh pineapple juice
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 139mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 2g
Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
nipponnin says
I now have everything to make this lemonade and I re-printed the recipe. You're right! I don't have to add vodka. Photographs are still look great second time around.
kara says
I have aan lemon agave nectar syrup that I use in a very similar way. However, I have been reading a lot about raw honey lately and think it would be interesting to try it with your recipe. We'll see how it goes. Beautiful shot BTW.
Total Zelanity says
I made this to take to a dinner party tonight and it was super delicious, thank you so much! My two year old even preferred it over apple juice! I didn't have any fresh ginger, so I used a Tbls of powdered. Next time I make this though, I'll try to have real ginger in hand!
Sylvie says
That's the best compliment, thank you! I'm glad it passed the kid test, now I can say this drink is kid approved! 😉