- Magazine
-
Blogs
- Projects
- Resources
- Photos
- Extras
Issue 46
The Food Issue Make a meal to die for
Make a meal to die for
Make wine crate cabinets
Learn to screen print
project archives 
Issue 42 Not-So-Simple Syrups
Not-So-Simple Syrups
Many a classic cocktail calls for a simple sugar syrup. But mixologist Alex Day suggests you get a little complicated.
by Alex Day
Photos by Greg Scheidemann
In a mixed drink, sugar can be the bridge between the booze and other flavors, minding the gap between bland and delicious. Sugar balances out the assertive taste of citrus and blends a drink’s ingredients into a more pleasant whole. But you have to be sure not to overdo it—there’s nothing worse than a cloyingly sweet drink.
Sugar is often used in its raw form, but for speed and efficiency, cooks and bartenders developed a simplified and easily measured alternative: the syrup. The most common syrup, a simple syrup, is one part water to one part sugar, stirred until the sugar grains are fully dissolved.
Sweetener can add a complexity all its own. For gin and whiskey, a syrup made with honey is pleasant. Tequila together with agave nectar makes sense. And for applejack, high quality maple syrup adds deep, rich notes. But these are not strict rules. The most important point is not to let the sugar dominate.
The real creativity comes when you manipulate your syrup. By boiling chopped ginger root or cinnamon with water, for example, you can extract intense flavor; add the sugar and you have something totally new. Fiddle endlessly. Once you start playing with spices and different sweeteners—try demerara sugar (unprocessed raw cane sugar) or any grade of maple syrup—you’ll be set to create your own signature concoction.
Simple Syrup
Combine one part table sugar and one part hot water. (I like superfine, because the very small granules dissolve easily.) Stir until dissolved.
Demerara Syrup
Combine two parts demerara sugar and one part water. Warm over medium heat in a saucepan until dissolved.
Honey Syrup
Combine two parts honey (I like acacia) and one part hot water. Stir until dissolved.
Acacia Lavender Syrup
Combine two parts acacia honey and one part hot water. Stir until dissolved. Add 1 ounce lavender leaves Stir. Let sit for at least 12 hours or to taste.
Ginger Syrup
Combine 1½ cups water and one firmly packed cup of finely chopped and peeled ginger, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, still covered, and let stand for 4 to 6 hours. Strain to remove the ginger, saving the spiced water and pressing the ginger to extract any moisture. Add one cup of superfine sugar and stir until dissolved.
Honeyed Ginger Syrup
Follow the same steps as in the “Ginger Syrup” recipe, but instead of adding superfine sugar, add one cup of acacia honey.
Cinnamon Syrup
Combine 1/3 ounce cinnamon sticks, broken up, with one cup sugar and one cup water. Place in saucepan and heat, stirring sugar until dissolved. Just before boiling, remove the mixture from the heat and let sit for at least 6 hours. Strain to remove cinnamon.
Homemade Grenadine
In a saucepan, boil down 16 ounces of pure pomegranate juice to half; remove from heat. Twist four pieces of orange peel to expose the oils, waving the peel above the syrup. Mix equal parts warm pomegranate reduction with demerara sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Use in classic recipes that call for grenadine (Pink Lady and Jack Rose, for example)—with the real stuff, they’re amazing!
Take your syrups for a test drive in one Day’s cocktail recipes.
Boukman Daiquiri:
1½ oz white rum (Day suggests Brugal White Label.)
½ oz cognac (H by Hine is great.)
¾ oz cinnamon syrup
¾ oz lime juice
Shake with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Tinker’s Stand No. 1
1½ oz bourbon
¾ oz Amaro
¾ oz honeyed ginger syrup
½ oz fresh lemon juice
Shake with ice, then strain into a rocks glass with a large chunk of ice. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger.
Bee’s Knees Revisited
2 oz gin (Day prefers Plymouth, a classic English gin.)
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
¾ oz lavender syrup
Shake with ice, then strain into a cocktail glass. (Recipe inspired by the fine folks at The Alembic in San Francisco.)
(Not So) Simple Syrups
$5
ingredients
- Sugar
- Water
- See individual recipes for more
tools
- Stove
- Saucepan
- Spoon
- Vegetable peeler (for ginger syrups)
- Strainer
