The idea behind sugar syrup, simple syrup, or whatever you wish to call it is simple- making a syrup by dissolving sugar into water. This makes an excellent sweetener for cocktails. Normal sugar just settles at the bottom of the glass and that’s why syrup makes a better candidate.
The best way to create a sugar syrup is by measuring the primary ingredients in volume. The water and sugar need to be in equal parts 1 to 1. You can utilize any type of sugar but more often than not, mixologists use granulated sugar since it is colorless. In this read, we are going to use brown sugar, thus giving a brown caramel color in the end. It all boils down to your preferences and the color you want in your final cocktail.
Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- Sugar
- Water
Equipment
- Empty glass bottle
- Funnel
- Saucepan
Preparation Steps
- Put water in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add sugar, lower the heat and allow it to simmer until fully dissolved. Most professionals use induction cooking for this as it delivers heat more efficiently and allows more control – take a look at our favorite induction cookware. You’ll be thankful you invested.
- The main thing is, do not allow the mixture to boil as the final result will be too thick and sweet.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and allow it to cool down to room temperature.
What about Storage?
When it comes to preserving food, sugar is one of the common ingredients. Since sugar syrup is primarily sugar, it has a decent shelf life. The secret is to make it with boiling water and store it in an ideal container. A glass jar proves to be better than a plastic jar. The shelf life isn’t indefinite and so, ensure you create a reasonable quantity. Simple syrup stored in the fridge can last up to a month.
A good tip is to use a bottle with known quantity so that you can use it to measure equal parts of water and sugar.
Flavored Sugar Syrups
In order to lend your cocktail herby flavors, you can include herbs that infuse the drink with aromas. Alternatively, you can prepare the infusion beforehand in order to save time. You can also infuse flowers, fruits and vegetables in addition to herbs. Adding flavor infusions to your syrup helps you make a more well-balanced cocktail.
A few examples of simple syrup variations include: Hibiscus Rose Chocolate, Fresh Mint Rosemary, Cinnamon wild.
There are numerous variations of sugar syrups and you can experiment with any flavor you come across. Perhaps the best way to elevate and make your syrup distinct is by creating unique simple syrups with bold flavors.
And there you have it, a few tips for making sugar syrup.
