Ginger-Tea Lemonade - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 cups water
3 black tea bags (I always use decaf)
1 1/3 cups ginger simple syrup (recipe below)
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
1 cup sparkling water or 1 cup club soda, chilled
2 cups ice
lemon slice, for garnish, option
Ginger Simple Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Preparation

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tea bags. Stir and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard. Add the Ginger Simple Syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water.
Put the ice in a large pitcher. Pour the lemonade mixture over the ice. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.
To make Ginger Simple Syrup:
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, water and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Strain before using.
Yield: 1 1/3cups.