The coffee shop I work at in Hawaii makes a yummy, heals every ailment, powerful drink called Ginger Tonic and I've been drinking it a lot recently. The bakers gave me a hint at how easy it was and spilled the secret (well, not so secret), combo and today I tried my own batch! My disclaimer is that I don't actually know the proper ratios so my version won't be quite as good as theirs until I figure out the perfect balance. But you can make this and adjust the sweetness/gingeriness to your liking.
Start off with ginger root and trim any impurities off with a knife. You can peel them if you like, but as long as they're cleaned well you don't need to and you can allow the extra fiber in your drink (I personally can't stand to peel ginger so I was thrilled to not).
Chop the root into smaller pieces and throw into the ever popular food processor...
Pulse the ginger until it's finely ground and add it to hot water to soak (again, the proportions depend on how much ginger you use and how much water you decide to add, I don't have a ratio so far). After the ginger has turned the water a golden color (I let mine sit a couple hours), drain the ginger out and allow the water to pour into a pitcher (see picture below).
Once you have drained and pressed the ginger until the liquid is gone, add honey until it reaches a sweetness you like, stirring it in until it is dissolved.
Don't be surprised at the potency of the ginger flavor, that's part of it's charm!
The rich, powerful drink can be served over ice or hot (which is especially great for sore throats)!
Not at all gingerly,
Jodye