Drink: Jamaican Rum-Ginger Zinger

Recipe by Audrey Saunders Ginger beer is a staple in Jamaica, and the best is homemade (it's easy to do, as you'll see in this recipe). Resist the temptation to use commercial ginger beer for this drink — it's too sweet.

Ingredients

2 cups water
2 ounces fresh ginger, unpeeled, finely grated
1 teaspoon plus 3/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 cups dark rum
3/4 cup Simple Syrup
1/4 cup falernum syrup*
Ice cubes
8 lime peel curls (optional)

Instructions

Bring 2 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in grated fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon lime juice. Cover and let stand 1 hour. Add brown sugar; stir to dissolve. Strain ginger beer into bowl, pressing firmly on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (mixture will be cloudy). Cool completely. Transfer ginger beer to jar. Cover and chill at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.
Mix rum, Simple Syrup, falernum, ginger beer, and remaining 3/4 cup lime juice in pitcher. Fill tall glasses with ice. Pour mixture over. If desired, garnish rim of each glass with lime peel curl.
*Falernum syrup is a sweet syrup flavored with lime, almond, ginger, and spices that's used to sweeten drinks. It's available at some liquor stores and online from davincigourmet. com.

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