Fresh Apple and Ginger Spritz by the Glass
Fresh-pressed apple juice and ginger make a crisp September spritz that needs no bottled ginger ale. The base is a short-cooked ginger syrup, so you can choose how much heat goes into each glass. Use a tart-sweet apple juice for balance, and chill both the juice and sparkling water before mixing.
Make a small ginger syrup
- 1 ounce fresh ginger, scrubbed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Put all three ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Simmer gently for 8 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain out the ginger and refrigerate the syrup in a covered container until chilled. Don’t grate the ginger for this recipe: slices are easier to strain, and you can extend the steep if you want a hotter syrup.
Assemble two glasses
- Fill each glass halfway with ice. Add 1/2 cup chilled pasteurized apple juice and 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice to each glass.
- Stir 2 teaspoons ginger syrup into each glass. Top each with 1/2 cup cold plain sparkling water and give it one gentle stir.
- Taste before adding any more syrup. For a garnish, cut two thin apple slices just before serving and rub the cut faces with a little lemon juice to slow browning.
Keep the apple and ginger in balance
If the drink is too sweet but you like the ginger heat, reduce the apple juice and increase the sparkling water in the next glass. If the heat is too strong, add a splash each of apple juice and sparkling water. If the syrup tastes sweet but barely spicy, return it to the pan with a few fresh ginger slices, simmer briefly, and chill it again before mixing.
Cloudiness is normal with unfiltered apple juice. Gently shake the closed juice bottle before measuring if the sediment has settled. Keep leftover ginger syrup refrigerated and use it within three days. Mix each spritz as you serve it so the bubbles don’t disappear in the pitcher.
