Okay, here is my blog post about trying to make Olipop’s Ginger Ale:
So, I’ve been on this health kick lately, trying to cut back on sugary sodas. I stumbled upon this brand, Olipop, and their Ginger Ale really caught my eye. It’s supposed to be good for you, with prebiotics and stuff. But, man, that stuff is expensive! I figured, “Hey, I can make this myself!” How hard could it be, right? Turns out, harder than I thought.
First, I grabbed some fresh ginger. A big, knobby piece. I peeled it, which was kind of a pain, and then I chopped it up real fine. I wanted that strong ginger flavor, you know?
Then, I threw the ginger into a pot with some water and let it simmer. The whole house started to smell like ginger, which was pretty awesome, I gotta admit. I added some lemon juice, ’cause the Olipop version has that citrusy kick. I squeezed a couple of lemons, got my workout in for the day.
Here’s where things got tricky. Olipop has all these fancy ingredients like cassava root and Jerusalem artichoke for sweetness and those prebiotic benefits. I searched high and low at the grocery store, but no luck. I ended up using a little bit of honey, just to take the edge off the ginger’s spiciness.
My makeshift “Prebiotic Blend”
- Used: A pinch of chicory root powder (the only thing remotely close I could find)
- Skipped: Cassava root, Jerusalem artichoke (couldn’t find them anywhere!)
- Added: Some stevia because honey makes it too sweet for me.
After I mixed everything together, I let it cool down and then strained out the ginger pieces. I was pretty excited to try it, not gonna lie.
The result? Well, it wasn’t Olipop. Not even close. It was gingery, for sure, and it had a little bit of sweetness from the honey. But it was missing that… something. That bubbly, refreshing quality. Plus, I have no idea if my random chicory root powder did anything for my gut health.
I poured myself a glass over ice, took a big sip, and… meh. It wasn’t bad, but it definitely wasn’t worth all the effort. I ended up adding a splash of sparkling water to give it some fizz, which helped a little. Still I think I just buy Olipop in the end. I even don’t know why I tried to make one myself.
So, lesson learned. Some things are just better left to the professionals. I’ll probably stick to buying Olipop, even if it does cost a small fortune. But hey, at least I tried, right? And my kitchen smelled amazing for a few hours. Small victories, people, small victories.
