Fresh Apricot Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. The syrup may thicken slightly due to natural fruit pectin — this is normal and does not indicate spoilage. Keep refrigerated.

Select fully ripe apricots that are fragrant and give slightly when pressed — underripe apricots are sour and astringent with none of the honeyed, floral sweetness that makes the syrup worth making. Leave the skin on during simmering; most of the color and much of the aromatic character is concentrated in the skin. Strain through a fine mesh strainer pressing the softened fruit firmly to extract maximum flavor and natural pectin, which gives the syrup a pleasant, slightly rounded body. A splash of fresh lemon juice added to the finished cooled syrup brightens the flavor and extends shelf life.

The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) takes its Latin species name from Armenia, though modern botanical evidence suggests the fruit originated in northern China before spreading westward along the Silk Road trade routes to Central Asia, Persia, and eventually the Mediterranean. Apricots have been cultivated for at least four thousand years, documented in ancient Chinese agricultural records and traded throughout the ancient world. The fruit arrived in Europe via the Greeks and Romans, who spread cultivation throughout the Mediterranean basin. In the distilling tradition, apricots have been prized as a base for eau-de-vie, particularly the Hungarian pálinka and the Turkish kayısı rakısı. In the cocktail world, apricot is most associated with the Apricot Sour and as a modifier in drinks including the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club punch. Apricot syrup made from fresh fruit during the brief summer season captures a floral, honeyed stone-fruit character that dried apricot or commercial apricot juice simply cannot replicate.

An apricot-cardamom syrup, made by adding four cracked green cardamom pods during simmering, produces a floral, spiced variation excellent in gin and Cognac cocktails that draws on the Persian culinary tradition of pairing stone fruits with cardamom. An apricot-rosemary syrup adds two sprigs of fresh rosemary during the final five minutes of simmering for a savory-sweet profile suited to spirit-forward cocktails. For a richer, more concentrated apricot syrup, substitute dried apricots (two cups) for fresh — this produces a syrup available year-round with a deeper, more jammy character.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Apricot is a stone fruit — those with stone fruit allergies or birch oral allergy syndrome may react. Stone fruits contain amygdalin in the pit; remove all pit material before cooking.