How to Make a Restorative Ginger-Lemongrass Soda

The Ginger-Lemongrass Soda is a simple nonalcoholic drink that is tart, a touch spicy, and just sweet enough. The soda is built by making an infused simple syrup with ginger and lemongrass, then adding fresh lemon juice and topping it off with club soda.

Developed by Grace Parisi, former Food & Wine senior test kitchen editor, this recipe was made to showcase simple seltzer-based sodas that can easily be achieved at home. Parisi leans on a fool-proof soda technique where a flavored syrup is topped with plain club soda. Here Parisi uses a syrup infused with aromatics and adds a touch of fresh lemon juice to counter the sweeter notes in the syrup and provide balance.

Ginger and lemongrass are a classic combination of aromatic ingredients. Lemongrass is a long, stalk-like herb that has a tough and fibrous texture. Its flavor profile is a delicious blend of citrusy and herbaceous notes; akin to lemon zest, grassy green herbs, with a touch of gingery bite.

Why the Ginger-Lemongrass Soda works

This drink’s base, a flavorful ginger and lemongrass syrup that is cut with fresh lemon juice, gives this simple soda its personality. Slicing the ginger and smashing the lemongrass stalks helps to open up the ingredients, making it easier for their flavorful oils and juices to infuse into the water-sugar mixture. Since the ginger is being sliced thin and strained out, there’s no need to peel it, just be sure to wash the ginger well before using.

The addition of freshly squeezed lemon juice helps moderate the syrup’s sweetness and plays off the citrus notes present in the lemongrass. The syrup yields enough for eight servings of soda but can also be used as a drizzle over pancakes, on top of yogurt, or as a flavorful soak for a cake. Additional syrup can be stored for up to two weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

The club soda in this drink provides that classic soda effervescence and the bubbles amplify the flavors present in the syrup. A sliced lemon wheel is the perfect garnish, echoing the citrus notes within the cocktail, and adding a slight golden color.