Simple Syrups

Using fruit and herbs to liven up a basic cocktail

A fabulous craft cocktail starts with top shelf spirits, but other fresh ingredients can make or break the drink. Many cocktail recipes (especially those using the basic sour formula) include simple syrup or syrups infused with fruit and herbs. Here is the basic simple syrup recipe and a few variations that are easy to make at home and will elevate your drink from simply sweet to delicious!

Simple Syrup - 1 part water to 1 part white table sugar. Dissolve in microwave or in a small pan over low heat, chill and store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. It will keep for a few weeks as is. Rich simple syrup uses a ratio or 2 parts sugar to 1 part water and you can vary the type of sugar for a different flavor profile - demerara and turbinado sugars result in darker, richer more molasses flavored syrups for bourbon and whiskey or rum cocktails.

Fruit Syrups - Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, rhubarb, figs, pomegranates, and peaches all make fantastic syrups. Just add an equal portion of the fruit to your dissolved sugar and water and simmer until the fruit releases all its juices. If the fruit is particularly sweet (as with figs) or you prefer a less sweet syrup, you can reduce the sugar proportion to 3/4. For very tart fruit (like pomegranate) add a bit more sugar. Cool the syrup and strain out any skin or seeds through a fine sieve and/or cheesecloth. Store in a tightly sealed jar in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks (if it lasts that long in your house!). If you add just a teaspoon of vodka to an 8 ounce jar of syrup it will keep in the fridge indefinitely and not change the flavor.

Herbed Syrups - Basil, mint, thyme and sage can all be used to infuse a simple syrup and will add a punch to a craft cocktail. Herbs are delicate and can become bitter if you leave them in a hot syrup for too long or cook them in the syrup. As an example, add a big handful of fresh basil leaves to a dissolved sugar solution while it’s still warm (but removed from heat) and let it sit. Taste periodically and let it sit longer if you want a stronger flavor. It should be subtle not overwhelming in flavor. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Ginger Syrup - This is one of my absolute favorite ingredients to include in a variation on the Bee’s Knees that I call “Not MaryAnn”. It’s ridiculously easy to make. Just chop up a good sized chunk of fresh ginger root (peeled or not) and measure how much you have (1/2 cup is a good metric). Throw it in your high speed blender with the same proportion of table sugar and warm water. Blend to liquify the solution and then strain through a very fine sieve - squeezing out all the liquid and discarding the pulp. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge - you can add a bit of vodka and it will keep longer. But you will use it up because everyone will love a gin, rum or bourbon cocktail that includes ginger.