The 3 Ingredient Ginger-Lemon Tonic You Can Enjoy Year Round

If you've tried ginger root wellness shots, it's time to carry the ingredients into a more substantial beverage. Whether you've found yourself slinging drinks at a summer barbecue or are catering to friends who crashed your winter ski rental, a simple drink with ginger and lemon juice couldn't be easier to put together. Ginger has been used for millennia, and its warm, zingy flavor profile can be complemented by the punch of lemon to yield a refreshing combination that can be made to serve either hot or cold. 

Combine freshly-squeezed lemon juice with slices of fresh ginger and top with tonic or soda water for a cold, fizzy beverage that is ideal for backyard picnics. Turn the collection of ingredients into a boozier lane with splashes of vodka or gin. Whether made to be alcoholic or teetotaling, these simple, sparkly drinks can be garnished with sprigs of rosemary or mint, slices of lemon, or pieces of candied ginger. 

If you don't have fresh ginger root to peel and slice, ginger syrup can serve as a flavor stand in, or you can use ginger ale or ginger beer to provide the ginger foundation needed for your drinks. During colder months, carry the ingredients into a warmer, soothing drink made with hot water, ginger, and lemon, or spike your drink with a splash of bourbon or rum. Garnished with cinnamon sticks or cloves, these steaming libations couldn't be easier to serve.

Regardless of the temperatures you prefer to make your beverages, you can use agave syrup to sweeten your concoctions to your liking or stir in spoonfuls of honey to create sweeter recipes. You can experiment to bend your blends into sweeter, sour, or zingier territories. Once poured into pretty glasses, these adaptable drinks can be customized to present during tea time alongside zingy honey almond nougats made with lemon and ginger or be offered as a pre-dinner party welcome.