Simple Syrup May Be the Most Important co*cktail Ingredient That Isn't Alcohol (2024)

Except for alcohol, there may be no ingredient as integral to co*cktails as simple syrup. Essentially just sugar water, it's a central ingredient to countless recipes, and often acts as a neutral sweetening agent in everything from a classic Daiquiri to your morning coffee.

Simple syrup is used to allow sugar to be evenly mixed throughout a drink, particularly one served cold, by pre-dissolving the granulated sugar in water ahead of time to avoid clumping. It's also one of the easiest ingredients to make yourself—if you can boil water, you can make simple syrup.

At its most basic, simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of granulated sugar dissolved in an equal volume of water. From this template, an endless array of variations can be found.

Common Simple Syrup Variations

While there are countless ways to customize simple syrup, these four variations are most likely found in co*cktail recipes. The theory behind them remains the same though—a form of sugar dissolved in water in order to better integrate into cold drinks.

• Rich simple syrup: Common in many recipes where sweetness is needed without excessive dilution, rich simple syrup ups the ratio to two parts sugar dissolved in one part water. This adds more heft and a rounder mouthfeel to co*cktails.
• Demerara syrup: The method to making this variation is similar to simple syrup, using a 1:1 ratio, but opts for golden-brown demerara sugar, often sold as Sugar In The Raw.
• Honey syrup: As anyone who has tried to stir raw honey into a cold or room-temperature drink knows, it tends to stick to containers and stubbornly refuses to dissolve. Honey syrup dissolves it in an equal amount of water to thin it out, and allow it to integrate into drinks.
• Agave syrup: Similar to honey syrup, this version follows the same template to thin raw agave nectar and is an integral component of classic drinks like a Tommy's Margarita.

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Infused Simple Syrup

You can also infuse your simple syrup with countless ingredients—including spices, herbs and fruit—based on the flavor profile you want to achieve. Looking to add zip to your Paloma? Steep a couple of jalapeño slices in your syrup. Want to give your drinks a kick of vanilla? Vanilla simple syrup is the answer. Really into ginger? There's a simple syrup for that. Other popular simple syrup infusions include mint, cinnamon, basil, and tea.

Feel free to experiment with other ingredients and see what combinations you can come up with. Your homemade simple syrup, once sealed and refrigerated, will generally keep for up to a month.