turmeric ginger lemonade

Fresh squeezed lemon juice is swirled with spicy turmeric ginger simple syrup in this vibrant turmeric ginger lemonade recipe. This post is brought to you by HP. Thanks for supporting the companies that make Brooklyn Supper possible! Jump to recipe!

On Tuesday morning, both my daughters hopped onto a big yellow school bus and I was alone in quiet house with a day stretching out ahead of me – a feeling I’d nearly forgotten. It didn’t take long before the silence and freedom I’d yearned for all summer became overwhelming and I found myself putting off deadlines by scrubbing the bathtub. After a second aimless day, I knew I needed new routines.

A good routine doesn’t happen all at once, so I started by tackling two of my standing issues: the afternoon slump and my cluttered workspace.

The afternoon slump turned out to be pretty easy to solve with a quick break for fresh (or humid) air and a standout beverage. I shredded lots of fresh turmeric and ginger and steeped them in a mix of water and honey. Then I juiced a million lemons. I combined the turmeric ginger simple syrup, lemon juice, and seltzer in a big mixing glass filled with ice, added jalapeños and lemon slices, and made myself the perfect afternoon pick-me-up. The mix of citrus and layered spice, along with a hint of sweetness, makes for a lively tonic that might actually give you superpowers.

As for my second issue, I had a little help decluttering my workspace in the form of a brand new HP Spectre the folks at HP recently sent me to try out. Opening the box, it was a thrill to hold this impossibly light laptop. I was instantly smitten with the refined design – a charcoal exterior with gold accents, a keyboard that’s really great to type on (I have no idea what makes a great keyboard, but this one’s my soulmate), and a crisp HD display. As I settled down to stream some music and work, I was floored by the great sound coming out of the Bang and Olufsen stereo speakers on either side of the keyboard.

But what the Spectre really showed me was how much I’d been tied to one spot. While my old laptop is technically portable, it’s heavy enough that you really don’t feel like just up and moving. The Spectre, though, is lighter than a good book, so I don’t think anything of decamping to the kitchen table, the porch, or the park. Functional, powerful, and well-designed, the HP Spectre is 2.45 pounds of everything I need to work wherever I want

Now, onto the recipe. When making ginger simple syrup, I typically slice the fresh ginger, but found here that shredding makes the most of the root, maximizes flavor, and imbues the finished product with more delicious ginger juice and heat. In working out the recipe, I made a ginger-only syrup too. The spice and simple palate of the plain ginger is ideally suited to cocktails, while I love the turmeric version, and it’s hint of saffron and more subtle heat, in this afternoon lemonade. (To make a ginger-only version, just omit the turmeric.)

Print Recipe

Turmeric Ginger Lemonade

Fresh squeezed lemon juice is swirled with spicy turmeric ginger simple syrup in this vibrant turmeric ginger lemonade recipe.

Recipe Type: Drinks

Makes: 6 - 8 servings

Author: Brooklyn Supper

Ingredients

For the Turmeric Ginger Simple Syrup

• 2 ounces fresh ginger peeled and coarsely shredded
• 1/2 ounce fresh turmeric about 2-inches, peeled and finely shredded
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey

For the Turmeric Ginger Lemonade

• 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2 pounds of lemons; save 1 lemon for garnish
• 2/3 cup turmeric ginger simple syrup
• 2 cups seltzer
• 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and sliced paper thin
• 1 lemon, sliced into rounds

Instructions

1. To make the syrup, set a medium, nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combine ginger, turmeric, and water. Bring to a gently bubbling simmer, then turn heat to low and steep 10 minutes. Swirl in honey and continue cooking over low heat for 20 minutes more.
2. With a fine mesh strainer, strain into a jar or bottle, pressing pulp to extract all the juices (and flavor). Syrup will keep well covered in the fridge for a month. Makes about 1 cup.
3. To make turmeric ginger lemonade, juice lemons, and strain out seeds and pulp. Measure 2 cups into an ice-filled pitcher and stir in 2/3 cup simple syrup. Add 5 sliced jalapenos and 4 lemon slices. Top off with 2 cups seltzer. Stir mixture and taste. If desired, add more simple syrup to taste.
4. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with sliced jalapenos and lemons. Serve immediately.

Thanks to HP for sponsoring this post!