Hot Honey Lemon Ginger Drink

Before you start

This is the warm drink many people reach for on a cold evening or when their throat feels rough: fresh ginger simmered in water, then finished with lemon and honey. It is comforting rather than curative, and the honey and warmth are the parts people tend to find soothing. If symptoms are severe or persistent, that is a question for a clinician, not a mug.

Flavor comes down to how you treat the ginger. Thin slices simmered for 10 minutes give a clean, warming infusion; grated ginger extracts faster and hits harder. Lemon and honey go in at the end, off the heat, so the lemon stays bright and the honey keeps its floral aroma instead of tasting merely sweet.

Ingredients

• 20 g (a 5 cm / 2 in piece) fresh ginger — scrubbed, thinly sliced; no need to peel
• 350 ml (1½ cups) water
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lemon juice — about ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp (about 21 g) honey — to taste
• 1 lemon slice — for the mug
• 1 small pinch ground cayenne or 1 cinnamon stick — optional

Method

1. Slice the ginger into coins about 2 mm thick. For a stronger, spicier drink, grate half of it instead; grated ginger releases its heat much faster.
2. Put the ginger and water in the saucepan, add the cinnamon stick if using, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. The water should turn pale gold and smell sharply of ginger.
3. Taste a spoonful. If you want more heat, simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes; if it is already fiery, take it off now.
4. Strain the ginger water into the mug. You should have about 250 ml (1 cup); top up with hot water if a lot evaporated.
5. Let it sit for a minute so it is hot rather than boiling, then stir in the lemon juice and honey until dissolved. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet and sour.
6. Float the lemon slice on top, add a pinch of cayenne if you like the extra warmth, and sip while hot.

Tips for success

• Young ginger with thin, shiny skin is juicier and milder; older, fibrous roots are hotter. Adjust the amount to the root you have.
• Squeeze the lemon fresh. Bottled juice tastes flat and slightly bitter once diluted in hot water.
• Strong-flavored honeys such as buckwheat change the drink a lot. A mild wildflower or clover honey lets the ginger and lemon lead.

Substitutions

Fresh ginger

Use ½ tsp ground ginger whisked into the hot water if fresh is unavailable. It is muddier and spicier, and leaves a sediment, so let it settle before drinking.

Honey

Maple syrup or agave syrup sweetens without honey's floral notes and suits vegans; use slightly less agave, as it tastes sweeter.

Lemon juice

Lime juice gives a sharper, more aromatic drink. Orange juice makes it sweeter and less tart, so reduce the honey.

Variations

Ginger concentrate

Simmer 150 g sliced ginger in 1 liter water for 25 minutes, strain and refrigerate. Mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part hot water, then add lemon and honey per mug.

Hot ginger with mint

Add a handful of fresh mint leaves to the mug before pouring in the hot ginger water.

Troubleshooting

It burns the throat

Too much ginger or too long a simmer, especially with grated root. Dilute with hot water and use slices next time.

It tastes weak and watery

The ginger was old or sliced too thick. Grate part of it or simmer longer with the lid on.

It tastes flat and too sweet

Not enough acid. Add lemon juice a teaspoon at a time until it tastes bright.

Storage

Drink it fresh. Ginger concentrate without honey or lemon keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days; discard it if it turns cloudy or smells sour. Add lemon and honey only when you serve.

Safety notes

Never give honey to infants under 12 months old. This drink is not a treatment for illness; see a healthcare provider for symptoms that are severe, last more than a few days, or include trouble breathing or swallowing.