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Traveler's Ginger Cordial

Europeans and especially the British have been enjoying cordials for centuries, and they are becoming increasingly popular again. Traditionally they were alcoholic and were essentially a type of liqueur that had medicinal properties. Today, they are normally non-alcoholic and many are made using herbs such as Elder flower or Ginger root. They are very useful for travel because they very concentrated and can be diluted with water to taste. They are very versatile and can be mixed with cold water, hot water, or even tea. They are most popular in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Ingredients

  • ½ quart of water
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 strip of lemon rind (white pith removed)
  • ¼ cup of dried Ginger c/s
  • 2 teaspoons of cream of tartar
  • 1 cup of lemon juice

Directions

  1. Boil the water, sugar, rind, Ginger and cream of tartar for 5 minutes.
  2. Add the lemon or lime juice. Bring to the boil again.
  3. Take off the heat, strain and pour into a sterilized bottle.
  4. To consume, dilute as preferred.

This cordial uses Ginger and may be useful on road trips if travel sickness is experienced.

If you prefer other flavors, experiment with the recipe and substitute other herbs such as Elderflower, or Elderberry. You can even add fruit such as blackberry.