How to Make Simple Syrup for Cocktails

Simple syrup is sugar dissolved in water.

It sweetens a cold drink evenly, where dry sugar would sink to the bottom of the shaker. It takes five minutes, costs pennies and appears in more cocktail recipes than any other ingredient you can make yourself.

A swing-top glass bottle of simple syrup on a dark wooden bar with a bowl of white sugar, a bowl of demerara sugar, a jar of honey with a wooden dipper and a brass bar spoon, lit by candles

The basic recipe

1 cup white sugar, 1 cup water. That makes about 1½ cups of syrup, enough for roughly sixteen drinks.

Heat the water until it steams. A kettle works well, and a full boil is more than you need.
Stir in the sugar until the liquid turns completely clear.
Let it cool, then pour it into a clean bottle or jar.
Keep it in the fridge and use it within about a month.

For a small batch, use the same method with ¼ cup of each.

Four variations

Rich simple syrup: Two parts sugar to one part water. It is sweeter and thicker, so use a little less than a recipe calls for. The higher sugar content also helps it keep for longer.
Demerara syrup: Made the same way with demerara or raw sugar. It adds a light caramel note that suits an Old Fashioned and most rum drinks.
Honey syrup: Two parts honey stirred into one part warm water. Honey straight from the jar seizes up when it meets ice, and thinning it lets it mix. Use it in a Bee's Knees or a Gold Rush.
Agave syrup: Agave nectar thinned with an equal part of water. A natural partner for tequila and mezcal.

Flavored syrups

Once the sugar has dissolved, add a flavoring to the warm syrup, let it steep, then strain it out.

Mint: a generous handful of leaves, steeped for 15 minutes.
Ginger: a thumb of fresh ginger, sliced thin, steeped for 30 minutes.
Cinnamon: two sticks, broken up, steeped for an hour.
Grenadine: equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar, warmed and stirred until clear.

Flavored syrups are best used within two weeks.

How to tell when it has turned

Fresh syrup is clear and smells of nothing much. Cloudiness, floating specks or a sour smell mean it is time for a new batch. Label the jar with the date and you will always know.

Add simple syrup, honey and your other pantry staples to your ingredients, and I'll put them to work in drinks designed around your bar.

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