Now the sun and the wind were hotter and Laura’s legs quivered while she made them trample the hay….She was thirsty, then she was thirstier, and then she was so thirsty that she could think of nothing else.
Nothing was ever so good as that cool wetness going down her throat. Ma had sent them ginger-water.
—The Long Winter
Before our modern version of ginger ale there was ginger water, sometimes called “switchel” on the East Coast which may be where Ma learned the recipe. Ginger water was a non-alcoholic drink often prepared during hot summer days when pioneers were working hard in their gardens or in the hay fields. It has a similar sweet-tart taste like many infused sports water drinks, but this recipe uses all-natural ingredients you can find in your own home.
Here we will share a ginger water recipe inspired by Laura’s childhood memories, but we’ve included some additional flavor variations below for your enjoyment. So pack it on a picnic, serve a refreshing treat at a Little House on the Prairie birthday party, or enjoy this drinkable energy boost on a hot summer day when you’ve been exercising your own pioneering spirit!
Ingredients for 6 servings of Ginger Water
- ¾ cups packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ⅓ cups apple cider vinegar or kombucha
- 1 quart water
- 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 cucumber (optional)
- 7-10 mint leaves
Directions to Make Old-Fashioned Ginger Water
1. In a 2-quart pitcher or bowl, dissolve the brown sugar and ground ginger in the apple cider vinegar.
2. Add 1 quart of water and mix well. Chill for at least an hour or serve over ice.
Flavor Variations for Refreshing Summer Drinks
Lemon: Slice one lemon and place into mason jars that total one quart. Add the completed ginger water and let steep overnight before serving.
Mint: Add 7-10 Mint leaves to Mason jars. Bruise the leaves with a spoon handle and top with the completed ginger water. Let steep overnight and serve.
Cucumber: Slice one medium cucumber and place into mason jars. Add the completed ginger water and let steep overnight before serving.
We hope you will try these ginger water recipes for an old-fashioned refreshing summer drink. It’s fun to think about quenching your thirst as Laura and her family probably did. Which flavor variation will you try first?
Be sure to subscribe to the Little House on the Prairie Newsletter to see more summer fun recipes and activities.
Printable Recipe
Ingredients for 6 servings of Ginger Water
- ¾ cups packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ⅓ cups apple cider vinegar or kombucha
- 1 quart water
- 1 lemon (optional)
- 1 cucumber (optional)
- 7-10 mint leaves
Directions to Make Old-Fashioned Ginger Water
- In a 2-quart pitcher or bowl, dissolve the brown sugar and ground ginger in the apple cider vinegar.
- Add 1 quart of water and mix well. Chill for at least an hour or serve over ice.
Flavor Variations for Refreshing Summer Drinks
- Lemon: Slice one lemon and place into mason jars that total one quart. Add the completed ginger water and let steep overnight before serving.
- Mint: Add 7-10 Mint leaves to Mason jars. Bruise the leaves with a spoon handle and top with the completed ginger water. Let steep overnight and serve.
- Cucumber: Slice one medium cucumber and place into mason jars. Add the completed ginger water and let steep overnight before serving.
Writer of the food blog, Natural Chow, Margaret Anne is a green-thumbed Christian striving to live a healthy lifestyle and teach others about eating and living naturally. She understands the importance of inexpensive meals, family time, health, having fun, and making foods that are good for your body. See her contributions to Little House on the Prairie below.
Sounds great
Does the vinegar taste good in it? Not criticizing, I just was wondering. If so, I’d love to try this recipe on a hot day!
It just gives it a tart flavor. I personally like it. If it’s too tart for you, just add a little more water and adjust as needed.
I’ve made ginger water before- it’s pretty good.Last time we didn’t have any down sugar,so I used granulated.It’s even good made with Sugar in the Raw.I haven’t tried making it with artificial sweetener yet-but it would probably be just as good.
I’ve made this using my juicer, but the ginger root is tough and rather rough on the juicer. 2″ ginger root, 2 lenons, 1/3 cup Bragg’s Apple Cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup of pure maple syrup in 2 qts of water.
The fast version is1/3 cup each of the Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and maple syrup with a heaping tsp of ground ginger powder in 2 qts of water.
It’s a rare day that I don’t drink 2 quarts/day. In the heat of summer I may drink upwards of 2 gallons when I am outside working.
I can’t wait to try it!
Ginger is a healthy ingredient , my family members are used to take it in dry coughing.
I like it & soon will try the recipe .
We make ginger water from an old 1800’s recipe. It calls for a peeled, scored 2″ knob of ginger, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup of honey. Put ingredients in a pitcher and add water. I like to let it sit out at room temperature overnight, give it a good stir and refrigerate.
About a million times better than a modern “sports drink”.
This sounds amazing! I’ve been looking everywhere for an alternative. Thank you for sharing!
My husband and I love it without any fruit or cucumber. The ginger is great for your tummy .
Not very cold on a stomach . We are gardeners and sometimes I use less brown sugar. I use powdered ginger. Its refreshing and not real sweet.
No ice…just cold water.
Ginger isn’t tart or sweet. It’s actually a bit spicy and would play off the brown sugar really well. It helps calm nausea which can happen when the heat is up and it may help release natural endorphins, like peppers with heat. Makes you feel good also!
Win/Win????
Ginger is actually hot…..but delicious.
i made this a few min ago and it is quite tasty..not as dark as in picture above but didn’t dissolve the ginger brown sugar before i added water…oh well allways next time
So yes or no powder?
This sounds so refreshing. Is it very tart though ?
Not with the brown sugar it calls for. ?
WHEN YOU SAY “GROUND GINGER” DO YOU MEAN POWDERED GINGER FROM A SPICE JAR? OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT GRATING GINGER FROM A GINGER ROOT?
I would imagine the powder. Grated ginger would be strange to drink?
If it is grated finely it is actually quite nice to drink – similar to drinking orange juice with the pulp. Or you could grate fresh ginger and squeeze the juice in. Fresh gives a much nicer flavour than ground.
I would probably use fresh ginger….it has a lot of benefits….you could always strain it too.