Clove-Ginger Tea

Don't you love it when things come together?

Remember Clove-Ginger Ale, a great homemade substitute for expensive and unhealthy bottled pop? Well, I made a batch last night, and I discovered the best thing.

It is fantastic as a hot tea.

Basically, I followed the original recipe, as linked above.  When I had a crock-pot full of the base mix (about a half gallon), I put a cup of organic sugar in a half gallon jar and filled it with the hot mixture.

For the cold beverage, I chill and mix half and half with carbonated water for a refreshing drink.

For the hot beverage, I drank it full strength.  I will admit that this makes for a fairly sweet beverage, but I liked it that way.  You might want to cut down the sugar if you are watching your sugar consumption.

It turned out to be an absolutely delicious way to warm up, and there are likely to be some health benefits from the herbs used in its creation.

The Analysis

Fast:  Again, this takes very little real prep time, as it is mostly time in the crock pot.

Cheap:  The ingredients can be fairly pricey.  I've been working on growing my own ginger and bay leaves, but so far I do not have a bumper crop of either to write about.

Good:  Definitely yummy and reasonably healthy, with a reasonably light transportation footprint.