By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 12
4 cal · 65 min
Spicy Ginger Soda
Recipe GLPRef87eeff97d436
A refreshing Caribbean-inspired sparkling beverage with a fiery kick of ginger and red pepper heat, balanced with bright lime juice. This spiced syrup concentrate is mixed with soda water to create an invigorating drink that's perfect for hot days.
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Ingredients
1 cup sugar
4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 3-inch pieces fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
12 lime wedges
6 cups soda water
2 cups water
ice cubes
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, chopped fresh ginger, and 2 cups of water. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to help dissolve the sugar and infuse the flavors.
Remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a lid. Let the ginger syrup steep and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the spices to fully infuse.
Pour the cooled syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass jar, pressing gently on the solids to extract all the flavorful liquid. Discard the solids and refrigerate the ginger syrup until chilled.
To assemble each drink, fill a 12-ounce glass with ice cubes. Add 2 tablespoons of the chilled ginger syrup to the glass.
Squeeze the juice from a lime wedge into the glass with the syrup, then top with soda water, filling to the brim.
Stir the drink well to combine all ingredients. Repeat steps 5-7 to prepare the remaining 11 servings.
Comments
This is a straightforward syrup-and-carbonation drink that checks most boxes for a Charlotte kitchen: fresh ginger, lime, and soda water are all easily found at any major chain, and the per-serving cost runs about 40 cents once you account for bulk sugar and a few slices of ginger. The stated 65 minutes is honest if you're infusing ginger properly, though most home cooks will cut it to 40 by using hotter water or grated ginger. The main limitation is that this drinks best made fresh and doesn't improve sitting overnight, so it's a same-day-consumption recipe rather than make-ahead, and while 12 servings sounds abundant, a pitcher goes quickly in warm weather.
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