Do you dilute a ginger shot, or drink it neat?

The first ginger shot tends to catch people out: a small glass, a confident swallow, and then a burn that runs all the way down, which is usually when the question of water comes up.

Do you dilute a ginger shot? You don't have to, and most people drink theirs neat, in one go. Diluting is fine, though, and doesn't change how much ginger you take, only how it tastes. In a Zurich lab study on tooth enamel, diluting apple juice to 40% strength roughly halved the erosion it caused.

Key takeaways

• A ginger shot is made to be drunk neat in one go, but adding water is fine if you prefer it milder.
• Water changes the taste and the heat, not the amount of ginger you get.
• Dilution can make an acidic drink gentler on your teeth, and drinking it with a meal helps too.
• If ginger tends to upset your stomach, taking the shot with food is the change most worth trying.
• A water chaser straight after gives you the full shot with less lingering burn.

Do you dilute a ginger shot?

Usually not, but you can if you'd like it milder.

A ginger shot is defined as a small, concentrated drink of fresh ginger juice, usually no more than a mouthful or two, taken in one go. Drinking it neat means a few seconds of heat and then it's done, which is part of the appeal for many people. Adding water makes it longer and gentler. Because the ginger is all still in the glass, you take the same amount either way.

Our guide to what a ginger shot is covers the category in more detail.

What does adding water change?

The taste, the heat, and how acidic the drink is, but not the ginger in it.

Ginger's heat comes from compounds called gingerols, and water spreads them through a bigger drink, so each mouthful is less fiery. It also dilutes the lemon that most shots carry, which matters for your teeth. What it doesn't change is the sugar from the fruit, since that's all still there too.

Is diluting a ginger shot better for your teeth?

It can help, and drinking it with a meal helps more.

Most ginger shots carry lemon, and acidic drinks can wear away tooth enamel over time. In the Zurich study, diluting apple juice and a citric acid solution with tap water cut the enamel worn away in the lab, from 5.7 to 3.1 micrometres for apple juice at 40% strength. The effect was less consistent for orange juice, and this was enamel in a lab rather than teeth in a mouth, so it's a guide rather than a guarantee.

The Oral Health Foundation's advice on dental erosion is to keep acidic food and drinks to mealtimes, swallow drinks quickly rather than holding them in your mouth, use a straw to reduce contact with your teeth, and wait at least an hour after eating or drinking before brushing. A shot drunk with breakfast, neat or diluted, fits that well. Sipping a diluted shot slowly through the morning doesn't.

Does diluting help a sensitive stomach?

There's no research on dilution itself, but taking the shot with food is the change most worth trying.

The EMA's review of ginger lists stomach upset, burping, indigestion, heartburn, and nausea among the common side effects of ginger. The NHS advice on indigestion names spicy food as a trigger too. If ginger shots disagree with you, try yours with breakfast, and if that doesn't help, a gentler blend or a smaller amount. Our guide to ginger shot side effects covers what's normal and what isn't.

Does a diluted shot count towards your fluids?

Yes. The NHS suggests 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, and water, lower-fat milk, and lower-sugar drinks all count.

Diluting doesn't change the fruit sugar, though. NHS guidance on sugar suggests no more than 150ml of fruit juice and smoothies a day in total, drunk with meals to reduce the risk of tooth decay. A single 60ml shot sits well within that, whatever you add to it.

How should you dilute a ginger shot?

Start with an equal amount of cold water, and adjust from there.

1. Pour your shot into a slightly larger glass.
2. Add the same amount of cold water, or sparkling water if you like it fizzy.
3. Stir, taste, and add more water if it's still too fiery.
4. Drink it with breakfast rather than sipping it over the morning.

If you'd rather keep the shot as it is, drink it neat and follow it with a glass of cold water. That's the approach our guide to making a turmeric shot taste better suggests too.

Who should check before taking ginger shots?

Anyone who's pregnant or breastfeeding, and anyone on medicines that affect clotting.

The EMA advises avoiding ginger as a medicine in pregnancy as a precaution, and doesn't recommend it while breastfeeding, so check with your midwife or GP. Ginger may affect clotting when taken in large amounts, and a review of 78 foods and herbs names it among those that may raise bleeding risk alongside warfarin. So if you take medicines such as warfarin or clopidogrel, speak to your pharmacist or GP before having ginger shots regularly.

Which shot is easiest to drink neat?

The one that balances ginger with turmeric and fruit.

None of our shots is ginger alone, as every one is led by turmeric. Raw Turmeric & Ginger pairs ginger root and raw turmeric root at 15% each, cold-crushed with whole watermelon, pineapple, lemon, and pomegranate, with magnesium and vitamin C added for mobility support. The ginger brings a real kick, and it sits in a fruit base that's 41% watermelon, with pineapple and pomegranate alongside. It also carries our trade-secret BioMax Uptake Blend®, which includes black pepper, at a 0.1% inclusion.

If you'd happily take the heat neat, Raw Turmeric & XTRA Ginger is the one for ginger superfans, with ginger root at 30%.

The takeaway

Do you dilute a ginger shot? You can, and it won't change how much ginger you get. Most people drink it neat in one go, with a glass of water after if the burn lingers. Whichever way you like it, have it with breakfast, which is kinder to your teeth and your stomach.

For a ginger shot that's easy to drink straight from the fridge, Raw Turmeric & Ginger balances the heat with turmeric, watermelon, and pineapple.

Frequently asked questions