Eating In: Republic's Thai Basil Ginger Ale

Cooking Our Favorite Restaurant Dishes at Home

Gothamist was inspired to take a detour from our typical Eating In recipe and instead focus on Drinking In. Thanks to a recent lunch at Republic, we’ve been inspired to make a version of their refreshing Thai Basil Ginger Ale.

After about two minutes of labor and 30 minutes of simmering, you will have created a flavorful ginger syrup that can be kept in your refrigerator for use whenever you need a freshing drink. Better yet, add some vodka to this homemade ginger ale and invite some friends over.

Ingredient Shopping List

Recipe produces enough syrup for about four to six 8 oz drinks, depending how much syrup you like per glass. Just double the recipe for more - a big batch is just as easy to make.

1 lb fresh ginger (you’ll need two cups chopped)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 quart club soda, chilled
1 bunch basil
Estimated cost of ingredients: $8 at Fairway

Make the Ginger Syrup

Peel the ginger with a vegetable peeler. Chop the ginger into small, rough pieces until you have about 2 cups of chopped ginger. Combine the ginger, 2 cups of sugar, and 2 cups of cold water and a few basil leaves in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on low until the mixture has the consistency of syrup. The liquid will be reduced by half and should take about 30-40 minutes. Strain the syrup and reserve the ginger.

Let the syrup cool at room temperature.

Finish the Drink

Fill an 8 ounce glass with ice (optional). Add at least 1 tblsp chopped basil and a pinch of the reserved ginger from the syrup. Add a shot of vodka at this stage if desired. Fill with cold club soda or seltzer. Pour 2 tablespoons of the ginger syrup into the glass and mix (you can add upt o 4 tblsp if you like your drink sweeter). Add another pinch of the ginger and a sprig of basil to garnish.