If you can boil water, you can make cocktail simple syrup. The basic cocktail sweetener more than lives up to its name, consisting simply of equal parts granulated sugar and water. From there, the variations are endless.
If you like your sweetener sweeter, you can try rich simple syrup, which ups the ratio by two parts sugar to one part water and adds more weight to your cocktails. If plain white sugar isn’t cutting it, try a richer-tasting type of raw cane sugar.
You can also infuse your simple syrup with a myriad of ingredients, including spices, herbs, and fruits, depending on the flavor profile you want to achieve. Want to add some spicy flavor? Dip a few jalapeño slices or cinnamon sticks in the syrup. Want to give your drinks a vanilla taste? Vanilla simple syrup is the answer. Even ginger? See where I’m going….
The best part? Your homemade simple syrup, once sealed and refrigerated, can live a happy, productive life for up to a month. That’s 30 days of shaking, mixing, stirring and drinking your own homemade cocktails, from classics like the Daiquiri to new concoctions you create on the go. What does it sound like?
Ingredients
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
Preparation
- Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Let it cool, then pour into a glass jar and close hermetically with a lid.
- The simple syrup will keep in the refrigerator for about a month.
Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. If you want flavors… add these too