Syrups
Sugar dissolved in water, sometimes with a flavouring added. Syrups exist because granulated sugar will not dissolve in a cold drink, and which one a recipe calls for changes the texture of a drink as much as its sweetness.
Usage
Added by the millilitre to balance acidity and provide texture. Which syrup a recipe specifies matters: swapping demerara for simple changes the weight of the drink, and orgeat cannot be substituted at all.
Why syrups exist
Granulated sugar does not dissolve in a cold drink. That is the entire reason syrups exist, and it is why a recipe calling for simple syrup will not work if you tip sugar into the shaker instead.
Dissolving the sugar in water first solves the problem before the drink is built. It also means the sweetener arrives as a measurable liquid, which is why syrup is specified in millilitres where sugar would have to be specified by weight.
The three that cover most drinks
Simple syrup. Equal parts sugar and water, or two to one for a richer version. The default in sours, fizzes and anything citrus-led.
Demerara syrup. Made with demerara rather than white sugar, so it is rounder and faintly molasses-like. Used where the drink wants weight rather than only sweetness, which is most rum and whisky drinks.
Orgeat. Almond, with orange flower water, and not interchangeable with anything. It is what makes a Mai Tai a Mai Tai, and it brings texture as well as flavour.
The rest of the range
Honey syrup and honey ginger syrup, for whisky drinks and anything wanting warmth. Agave syrup, for tequila and mezcal. Cane syrup, closer to demerara than to simple. Maple syrup, for whisky drinks wanting something rounder than honey. Vanilla sugar syrup, for softening sharper drinks.
Then the fruit and flavour syrups, used where the fruit is the point: passion fruit, raspberry, strawberry, apple cider, chocolate, caramel, cinnamon, rose, and butterfly pea for its colour rather than its taste.
Keeping them
A syrup is sugar and water, and it will eventually spoil. Refrigerate anything you make. A one-to-one simple syrup keeps for around a month; a richer two-to-one keeps longer, because the higher sugar concentration leaves less water for anything to grow in.
Fruit syrups have the shortest life of the group, since the fruit brings its own perishability with it. Make small batches unless you are working through them quickly, and label the bottle with the date, because a fridge full of clear syrups is impossible to tell apart by eye.
Top Tips
- Do not substitute orgeat. Nothing else brings the almond and the texture together.
- Make small batches. Syrup is quick to make and slow to use up.
Common Questions
Can I use granulated sugar instead of syrup?
Not in a cold drink. It will not dissolve and you will find it in the bottom of the glass. Syrup exists to solve exactly that problem, and dissolving the sugar first is what makes the sweetener measurable by volume.
What is the difference between simple syrup and demerara syrup?
The sugar. Demerara is less refined, so the syrup is rounder and faintly molasses-like. It suits rum and whisky drinks where a simple syrup can taste thin, and it brings a little weight as well as sweetness.
How long does homemade syrup keep?
Refrigerated, around a month for a one-to-one simple syrup and longer for a richer two-to-one, since the higher sugar concentration leaves less water for anything to grow in. Fruit syrups keep least well of all, so make those in small batches.
Is orgeat just almond syrup?
Not quite. It is almond with orange flower water, and it carries a texture that plain almond syrup does not. It is the one syrup on the list with no real substitute, which is why a Mai Tai made without it is a different drink.
From the Guides
Styles of syrups
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits