How to Make Ginger Shots

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

Last Updated: October 2, 2020 References Tested

Whether you're fighting a cold, looking for a burst of energy, or trying to improve your immune system, ginger shots are a good idea. Blend fresh ginger root with intense flavors, such as turmeric, lemon, and black pepper. Then strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and enjoy a shot. If you'd always like to have ginger shots on hand, freeze the liquid in an ice cube tray and thaw a cube whenever you need a boost!

Ingredients

Ginger and Turmeric Shots

4 cups (200 g) of turmeric root, roughly chopped
3 to 4 lemons
3 cups (150 g) of ginger root, roughly chopped
1 sweet apple, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Golden Delicious
1 pinch of ground black pepper

Makes 4 to 6 shots

Ginger-Lemon Shots

1/4 cup (15 g) of ginger root, peeled and chopped
4 to 6 lemons

Makes about 2 to 4 shots

Fruity Ginger Shots

4 cups (950 ml) of water
4 apples, peeled and cored
4 tablespoons (15 g) of grated ginger root
4 tablespoons (59 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Makes 7 shots

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Ginger and Turmeric Shots

1
Chop the ginger and apple. Rinse a large piece of ginger root and 1 sweet apple, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Golden Delicious. Cut the apple into 4 equal pieces and place them in a blender. Then chop the ginger into rough pieces that are about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) in size. Once you have 3 cups (150 g) of chopped ginger, put it in the blender with the apple pieces.^{[1]
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- Since you'll be straining the mixture, there's no need to peel the apple or ginger. You also don't need to core the apple.
- If you have a juicer, you can use it instead of the blender.
2
Peel and cut 3 to 4 lemons. Rinse the lemons and use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough rind. Then chop the lemons in half and add them to the blender.^{[2]
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- Discard the lemon rind or use it in other recipes.
Variation: You can change the flavor of the ginger and turmeric shots by changing the citrus you use. For example, substitute 1 grapefruit or 3 to 4 tangerines instead of the lemons.

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3
Add turmeric root and black pepper to the blender. Rinse 4 cups (200 g) of turmeric root and roughly chop them before putting them into the blender along with 1 pinch of ground black pepper. If you prefer an even spicier shot, add a pinch of ground cayenne pepper or cinnamon as well.^{[3]
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- There's no need to peel the turmeric since you'll be straining the liquid and the roots are too small to peel easily.
4
Blend the ingredients until they're smooth. Put the lid on the blender and pulse the ingredients until the roots, apple, and lemons are combined. Continue to pulse the mixture until it's thick and smooth.^{[4]
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- You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the blender occasionally.
5
Strain the ginger and turmeric mixture. Set a fine mesh strainer over a clean bowl and pour the mixture into it. Use the back of a spoon to press the liquid through the strainer so the solids remain.^{[5]
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- For even smoother shots, line the strainer with a piece of cheesecloth.
6
Drink and store the ginger turmeric shots. Transfer the liquid in the bowl to a storage container. Then pour some of it into a small shot glass and drink it, followed by a glass of water. Refrigerate the remaining liquid for up to 4 days.^{[6]
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- You can drink as many ginger and turmeric shots a day as you like.
- For longer storage, pour the liquid into a clean ice cube tray. Then defrost a cube whenever you'd like a shot. Freeze the shots for up to 6 months.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Ginger-Lemon Shots

1
Peel and chop the ginger root. Scrape a spoon against a piece of ginger root to remove the peel. Then chop the ginger into rough pieces that are about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) in size. You should end up with 1/4 cup (15 g) of chopped ginger root. Place the ginger chunks into a blender.^{[7]
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Variation: For a spicier ginger shot, push the ginger through a garlic press. Then put the ginger juice and pulp in the blender. Doing so will intensify the ginger flavor in the shot.
2
Squeeze 4 to 6 lemons to get ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of juice. Rinse the lemons and cut each in half. Use a citrus reamer or juicer to squeeze the lemons until you get ¹⁄₂ cup (120 ml) of juice. Then pour the juice into the blender with the ginger.^{[8]
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- Although you could substitute bottled lemon juice, these usually contain preservatives and lemon oils.
3
Blend the ginger with the lemon juice until it's smooth. Put the lid on the blender and pulse the ingredients until the ginger is no longer chunky. You should see a thick, cloudy liquid in the blender.^{[9]
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- If you want a slightly spicy flavor, add a pinch of cayenne pepper before you blend the mixture.
4
Strain the mixture into a clean bowl. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the ginger lemon mixture into it. Press the mixture with the back of a spoon, so the liquid is pushed into the bowl. The solid pulp will be left in the strainer.^{[10]
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- Discard the pulp or add it to the next fruit smoothie you make.
5
Drink and store the lemon ginger shots. Pour the strained liquid into a small shot glass and drink up to 1 or 2 fluid ounces (30 or 59 ml) a day. Store the remaining liquid in an airtight storage container and refrigerate it for up to 1 week.^{[11]
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- Keep in mind that the liquid will intensify in flavor the longer it's stored.
- To freeze the shots for longer storage, pour them into an ice cube tray and freeze them for up to 6 months.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Fruity Ginger Shots

1
Peel and chop the apples. Rinse and peel 4 apples before you remove the cores. Then chop each apple into 4 equal pieces and put the pieces into a blender.^{[12]
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Tip: Use your favorite type of apple. For tangy shots, use Granny Smith or Fuji apples. For slightly sweet shots, use Golden Delicious or Gala apples.
2
Grate the ginger root. Get out a large piece or several small pieces of ginger root and peel them using a spoon. Grate the ginger against the small holes of a box grater until you get 4 tablespoons (15 g).^{[13]
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- If you prefer, peel the ginger and push it through a garlic press instead of grating it.
3
Put the ginger, water, and lemon juice in the blender. Add the grated ginger to the blender with the apple pieces. Pour in 4 cups (950 ml) of water and 4 tablespoons (59 ml) of freshly squeezed lemon juice.^{[14]
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- You'll get the most intense lemon flavor by using freshly squeezed juice instead of bottled lemon juice, which has additives and preservatives. You'll need about 2 lemons to get 4 tablespoons (59 ml) of juice.
4
Blend the fruity ginger shots. Cover the blender and pulse the ingredients until the mixture is smooth. It's alright if there's a little pulp in the liquid. You don't need to strain the liquid for these shots because you peeled the apples and ginger root.^{[15]
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5
Pour the liquid into a shot glass and drink it. If you like, refrigerate the leftover liquid in an airtight container for up to 1 week.^{[16]
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- You can drink as many fruity ginger shots a day as you like.
- For long-term storage, pour the shots into an ice cube tray. Freeze the shots for up to 6 months.

Expert Q&A

Question

Can I take a ginger shot on an empty stomach?

Dee Dine
Nutrition & Vegan Food Specialist
Dee Dine is a Nutrition and Vegan Food Specialist and the founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a blog dedicated to healthy, plant-based vegan, limited ingredient recipes. Dee holds a BS in Biology/Biochemistry with an emphasis in Immunology. Dee has written two books full of healthy plant-based recipes, including chocolate desserts, snacks, juices and, wellness shots. They are: "Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients: Dessert, Breakfast & Snack Vegan Recipes" and "4-Ingredient Smoothies and Juices: 100 Easy Nutritious Recipes for Lifelong Health". Dee is an editor with TheFeedFeed, a crowdsourced digital cooking publication, and has been featured on BuzzFeed, Marie Claire, the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, Well + Good, and Hello Glow.

Dee Dine

Nutrition & Vegan Food Specialist

Expert Answer

It's actually best to take a ginger shot on an empty stomach! This way, your body can absorb the benefits more quickly.
Question

Are ginger shots good for you?

Dee Dine
Nutrition & Vegan Food Specialist
Dee Dine is a Nutrition and Vegan Food Specialist and the founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a blog dedicated to healthy, plant-based vegan, limited ingredient recipes. Dee holds a BS in Biology/Biochemistry with an emphasis in Immunology. Dee has written two books full of healthy plant-based recipes, including chocolate desserts, snacks, juices and, wellness shots. They are: "Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients: Dessert, Breakfast & Snack Vegan Recipes" and "4-Ingredient Smoothies and Juices: 100 Easy Nutritious Recipes for Lifelong Health". Dee is an editor with TheFeedFeed, a crowdsourced digital cooking publication, and has been featured on BuzzFeed, Marie Claire, the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, Well + Good, and Hello Glow.

Dee Dine

Nutrition & Vegan Food Specialist

Expert Answer

Ginger shots are very good for you! Specifically, taking a ginger shot daily will help your body kick out free radicals (which cause disease), boost immunity, improve your mood, calm stomach aches, fight colds, energize, support weight loss, regulate blood sugar, and help lower blood sugar.
Question

When should I drink a ginger shot?

Dee Dine
Nutrition & Vegan Food Specialist
Dee Dine is a Nutrition and Vegan Food Specialist and the founder of Green Smoothie Gourmet, a blog dedicated to healthy, plant-based vegan, limited ingredient recipes. Dee holds a BS in Biology/Biochemistry with an emphasis in Immunology. Dee has written two books full of healthy plant-based recipes, including chocolate desserts, snacks, juices and, wellness shots. They are: "Crazy Healthy with 4 Ingredients: Dessert, Breakfast & Snack Vegan Recipes" and "4-Ingredient Smoothies and Juices: 100 Easy Nutritious Recipes for Lifelong Health". Dee is an editor with TheFeedFeed, a crowdsourced digital cooking publication, and has been featured on BuzzFeed, Marie Claire, the Academy of Culinary Nutrition, Well + Good, and Hello Glow.

Dee Dine

Nutrition & Vegan Food Specialist

Expert Answer

Drinking a single ginger shot in the morning on an empty stomach will give you the strongest benefits.