Classic Simple Syrup
The foundation of your home bar. Once you have this on hand you'll wonder why you ever tried to dissolve granulated sugar directly into drinks.
The foundation of your home bar. Once you have this on hand you'll wonder why you ever tried to dissolve granulated sugar directly into drinks.
- 1 cupwater(room temperature or warm)
- 1 cupwhite granulated sugar(regular table sugar works perfectly)
- 1Add sugar and water to a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid.
- 2Shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds until sugar fully dissolves.
- 3Alternatively, combine in a saucepan over low heat and stir until dissolved - do not boil.
- 4Let cool to room temperature if heated.
- 5Transfer to a clean bottle or squeeze bottle.
- 6Label with the date and store refrigerated for up to one month.
Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to one month, or two months with a small amount of vodka added as a preservative. Discard if the syrup clouds significantly or shows any fermentation. Keep refrigerated.
The cold-shake method is faster than heating and produces a clean, neutral-tasting syrup with no heat-driven flavor changes — simply combine equal parts sugar and water in a sealed jar and shake vigorously for sixty seconds until completely dissolved. A standard one-to-one ratio produces a versatile syrup; a two-to-one rich simple syrup uses half the volume per drink and produces a thicker, more viscous texture preferred in tiki drinks and Daiquiris. Adding one teaspoon of vodka per cup of finished syrup extends refrigerator shelf life from one month to two months without affecting flavor. Superfine sugar dissolves faster in cold water than granulated if you are making the cold-process version.
Simple syrup — a one-to-one solution of sugar dissolved in water — is the foundational sweetening ingredient in cocktail history, appearing in the earliest American cocktail literature as the standard alternative to raw granulated sugar in drinks. Jerry Thomas called for sugar syrup throughout his 1862 Bartender's Guide, and the technique of pre-dissolving sugar appeared in earlier British punch-making traditions as a way to ensure even sweetness distribution in drinks that were not stirred for long periods. The term simple syrup distinguishes this one-to-one preparation from rich simple syrup (two parts sugar to one part water), which became the standard in tiki culture and many craft cocktail bars for its more viscous body and more concentrated sweetness. The cold-process method — shaking sugar and room-temperature water in a sealed container — was popularized by craft bartenders in the 2000s as a faster alternative to heating that also produces a slightly fresher-tasting syrup with no caramelization.
A rich simple syrup made with two parts sugar to one part water produces a more concentrated sweetener with a thicker body and a slightly longer shelf life, preferred by many craft bartenders for Daiquiris and Whiskey Sours. Turbinado or demerara sugar simple syrup, made by the same method, produces a golden syrup with a light molasses note that adds depth to aged rum and whiskey cocktails. A gomme syrup, made by dissolving one tablespoon of food-grade gum arabic into the finished simple syrup, produces the Victorian-era bar staple with a silky mouthfeel prized in pre-Prohibition classics.
No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Pure sucrose and water — allergen risk is negligible for all but the rarest sucrose sensitivities.