A friend of mine recently called me from the grocery store as she was standing in the cocktail mixer section.
“Isn’t this where I find the simple syrup?” she asked.
I was stumped for a moment. It never dawned on me that people bought simple syrup.
“You don’t need to buy simple syrup,” I told her. “Just grab a bag of sugar and make your own.”
“Oh, I can’t,” she quickly stated. “I need rosemary simple syrup for a cocktail recipe. I can’t find it anywhere so I guess I’m going to have to rush-order it!”
“What?! Just buy a bag of sugar and a sprig of rosemary and MAKE YOUR OWN,” I said with a chuckle. This friend of mine is always calling me from the grocery store.
The beauty of simple syrup (or sugar syrup, as some call it) is that it’s simple, requiring only two ingredients in equal portions: sugar and water.
The mixture needs to be heated so the sugar dissolves into the water. Allow the syrup time to cool and you have classic simple syrup to use in cocktails and all sorts of sweet summer beverages.
You can also make your own flavored simple syrup, as I mentioned to my friend, by adding herbs, spices, or even citrus rind to the hot simple syrup. If you add the additional ingredient(s) the moment the sugar dissolves and leave it there until it cools, the add-in ingredients will steep in the hot liquid, infusing flavor.
We make all sorts of simple syrups throughout the year. Try fresh herbaceous syrups with garden basil, mint, and thyme for fruity cocktails with a little wow-factor, spicy simple syrups with cinnamon sticks or cloves for fall and winter cocktails, or vanilla bean simple syrup for an extra punch of flavor anytime of year!
You can keep basic simple syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks, or 1-2 weeks for flavored simple syrups.
Here’s the breakdown:
Pour equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan. Remember, the sugar dissolves into the water, so 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water will not equal 2 cups of simple syrup. It’s more like 1 ½ cups simple syrup once dissolved. Adjust your measurements as needed.
Heat the ingredients until dissolved. Stir the simple syrup and place the saucepan over medium heat. By the time the edges start to simmer, the liquid should be completely clear, not cloudy. Immediately remove from the heat source.
Add flavor. If you are making infused simple syrups, this is the time to add the extra ingredients. Stir them into the syrup right as it comes off the burner and cover to allow the simple syrup to steep.
You can make various flavored batches of simple syrup by pouring the liquid into jars with different ingredients. Cover the jars with the lids while steeping.
Once the simple syrup is cool, remove the additional ingredients. Leaving mint leaves or citrus rind in the simple syrup long-term will only shorten its shelf life. If you’re creating a cocktail bar, you can always garnish the simple syrups later with another cinnamon stick or sprig of rosemary.
Keep it cold. Store the simple syrup in an airtight container, in the fridge, until ready to use. As mentioned above, basic simple syrup can stay fresh up to 4 weeks, however flavor simple syrups need to be used within a week or two.
Be creative! This is your chance to play mixologist. Make your favorite classic cocktails fresh and new by adding infused simple syrup variations.
Consider adding: vanilla beans, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, peppercorns, fresh or dried chiles, various citrus rinds like grapefruit or lime, fresh garden herbs, or even edible flowers like lavender or rose petals.
Cheers!
