Who doesn’t love the zing of fresh ginger? Despite its nobby shape and challenging preparation, the digestion-friendly tuber is also known to clear up the sinuses and reduce inflammation. Health benefits aside, the exotic flavor of ginger awakens the senses and works flavor magic into a range of drinks. Let’s look at a few ginger-infused libations, old and new, to add dimension to your next cocktail.
Domaine de Canton. Domaine de Canton might be the earliest contender in the essence of ginger category. It hit the scene in France back in the time of colonial Indochina and is fortified with eau de vie and cognac. The main ingredient here is the distinct spiciness of fresh Vietnamese baby ginger, giving it warm and subtle flavors. Generally, it’s blended into bourbon, gin or Champagne, combined with several other ingredients, but it’s also a nice sipper simply on the rocks.
The King’s Ginger. In the early 1900s, King Edward VII needed a little something to stimulate his senses, and the Berry Bros. formulated this ginger elixir for his majesty. Higher proof than Domaine de Canton, it’s more of a brown spirit with single-malt Scotch whisky blended in. It’s been widely distributed across the U.S., and in 2014 it garnered a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. With its more robust flavor and higher proof, it’s best consumed on its own or added in small doses to scotch, ginger ale or lemonade.
New Deal Ginger Liqueur. Portland, Ore.-based New Deal Distillery crafts its ginger liqueur in a more culinary style, bursting with rich, dense flavor, finishing sweet and spicy. Using fresh, organic ginger root, each batch is handmade, from the peeling to the pressing. “Fresh means recently out of the ground, counted in days,” says New Deal owner Tom Berkleaux. “Depending on the time of year, this means sourcing from farms in California, Hawaii or Peru.”
Each batch takes several hundred pounds of ginger and two to three staff members two days to hand-cut and crush the fresh root. It’s then finished off with organic cane sugar and a hint of agave nectar. Clearly, the work pays off, as it won the gold medal at the 2013 Great American Distillers Festival.
New Deal Distillery’s Hope Springs
1 ounce New Deal Gin 33
1 ounce New Deal Ginger Liqueur
More Top Picks Best Cooling Sheets
1 ounce fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Build over ice in a rocks glass and top with a splash of club soda.