Syrups
Sugar dissolved in water, sometimes with a flavouring. Syrups exist because granulated sugar will not dissolve in a cold drink. Which one a recipe calls for changes the texture as much as the sweetness.
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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.
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.
Most have their own page here. Three cover most of what you will ever make.
The three that cover the canon
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. Rounder and faintly molasses-like. Used where the drink wants weight rather than just sweetness, which is most rum and whisky drinks.
Orgeat. Almond, with orange flower water. Not interchangeable with anything. It is what makes a Mai Tai a Mai Tai, and it brings texture as well as flavour.
The rest, and what each is for
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 where you want something rounder than honey. Vanilla sugar syrup, for softening sharper drinks.
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 more 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. Make small batches unless you are working through them.
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 at the bottom of the glass. Syrup exists to solve exactly that.
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 simple syrup can taste thin.
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. Fruit syrups keep the least well.
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 with no real substitute.
Guide by Jerry Can Spirits