Tired of ginger tea? Try this tasty soda recipe. The pungent heating qualities of ginger can help keep spring colds at bay.

Combine 1/2 cup of freshly grated ginger, 1 cup of cane sugar, and 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 9 minutes. Cool and strain.

To serve, add about a 1/3 cup of this ginger syrup to a chilled glass. Top with seltzer water and garnish with lime. Adjust proportions to taste. Serves 4 to 6. Refrigerate leftover syrup for later; the flavor intensifies.

Variations

To create extra zing, cook ginger with 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom, or a few cloves. Adding 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the cooking ginger imparts a subtle earthy flavor. A splash of cream before serving makes it dreamy.