Simple Sugar Syrup Recipe

Cocktails very often follow a simple formula of spirit, sour (citrus juice) and sugar (liqueur/sugar). All parts are equally important- too much or not enough of any one component will completely throw off the balance of the drink. Spirits and citrus juices (lemon, lime, grapefruit etc.) are self-explanatory but if a recipe calls for a 1:1 simple syrup instead of a sugary liqueur like Disaronno Amaretto for example, you may be a bit stumped.

When you start making cocktails at home, you’ll see hundred’s of recipes that will call for ‘simple syrup’. This is equal parts sugar and water of a 1:1 ratio made into a syrup. That is literally all. You can buy this, it’s available online and in most supermarkets in either the coffee or the alcohol sections but it’s usually north of £5. You can make it at home for a fraction of the cost and it only takes about 10 minutes. Home-made syrup tastes nicer too, which makes for a better cocktail.

You’ll find recipes online that’ll offer measurements in cups/ml/oz etc but the most accurate way to make this is to weigh the ingredients. If you don’t already, it’s worth investing in a set of weighing scales. It will help if you’re on a calorie controlled diet, carb counting, diabetic etc., and it’s an invaluable tool for making cocktail syrups.

150g of water and 150g of organic cane sugar will yield 250ml/8.5oz. Simply weigh them out, stir together gently in a pan over low heat without boiling the water until all the sugar is dissolved and allow the mixture to cool. That’s it, it’s that simple. The clue is in the name after all. Once cooled, bottle it and store in the fridge for up to four weeks. I bought a set of clip-top bottles from Amazon to store my syrups. They are cheap, dishwasher safe and are perfect for exactly this job. You can find them here.

You’ll never have to buy sugar syrup again!

Thanks for reading,
Terry