Good proprietary brands of ginger syrup are available and tend to have a high sugar content (equivalent to a 2:1 sugar syrup, approx. 65° brix). However, Sam Ross, the influential New York bartender, has led many to make a weaker homemade syrup by mixing freshly extracted ginger juice with caster (superfine) sugar.

Some ginger juice syrup recipes (Sam Ross' included) comprise 4 parts freshly extracted ginger juice (skin on) to 3 parts granulated sugar by weight. However, I and others (including London's Satan's Whiskers) prefer a more straightforward equal parts-by-weight recipe, made as follows:

How to make:

1. Select a good quantity of fresh root ginger for your needs (at least 300 grams).
2. Wash root ginger in hot water.
3. Chop root ginger, leaving skin on, into chunks that will fit into the intake of your juicer.
4. Use a centrifugal or masticating (cold press) juicer to extract ginger juice.
5. Place a saucepan on your scales and zero the scales.
6. Pour ginger juice into the saucepan and record its weight.
7. Pour caster (superfine) sugar into the pan until double the original weight is reached.
8. Place pan on the hob and apply very low heat, just to gently warm.
9. Stir until all the sugar has dissolved.
10. Fine strain into a sterilised bottle and seal.
11. Store in a refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Cocktails made with ginger juice syrup:

El Diablo (Milk & Honey's)
Lantern Fly
Mavrick
Mosquito (by Sam Ross)
Penicillin
Praying Mantis
Toreador del Diablo