Getting Started

Simple Syrup is exactly that, incredibly simple! It is an equal measure of water and fine white granulated sugar.

For the most accurate balance it is best to measure by weight. Affordable digital scales are common and a very beneficial tool.

Three ways to make your Simple Syrup:

On the stove — Measure out your portions of sugar and water and add them to a pot. Set heat to medium high and immediately stir to mix and begin dissolving the sugar. The mixture will start off looking cloudy but as it warms, and the sugar continues to dissolve, it will become clear. Continue stirring, avoiding letting it reach a boil, until the mixture becomes completely clear. Turn off the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

In a bowl — Place the bowl on a digital scale and zero it out. Add the amount of sugar (e.g. 150g). Zero again. Pour very hot water until it reaches the same measurement. Whisk thoroughly until completely clear.

Quickest in a pinch! — Fill half a bottle with fine white sugar, the other half with warm water. Seal tightly and shake vigorously until dissolved. This is a bar trick used when you quickly run out of simple syrup.

Refrigerate between uses and it will keep for up to a week.

Rich Simple Syrup is thicker and sweeter than standard 1:1. Any time you come across "Rich" in front of the syrup, it implies a 2:1 ratio.

Along with being sweeter, it is more viscous and can affect the texture of the drink. If used in a Spirit Forward drink it can add sweetness while not adding as much volume, allowing other ingredients to shine.

You can make it on the stove or in a bowl using the same methods as Simple Syrup — just use twice the sugar (e.g. 200g sugar to 100g water).

Refrigerate between uses and it will keep for up to a week.

Honey is very difficult to mix into chilled or shaken cocktails due to how viscous it is. Once it comes into contact with ice, it will tightly bind to itself and will not emulsify.

Diluting it with water before adding it to a drink allows it to seamlessly incorporate with all other ingredients and keep its flavor present.

Place a bowl on a digital scale, add your honey (e.g. 150g), zero out, then add the same weight of very hot water. Whisk thoroughly until dissolved.

Refrigerate between uses and it will keep for up to a week.

Demerara sugar, like Turbinado or "Sugar In The Raw", is a sugar not refined as far as white sugar. Its crystals are larger and it still contains molasses, giving it a wonderfully rich flavor with hints of caramel and sometimes toffee.

Since Demerara sugar is denser and its crystals bigger, it is advisable to make this on the stove. It will require longer exposure to heat to fully dissolve.

Continue stirring over medium high heat, avoiding boiling, until the mixture becomes completely clear and you no longer see sugar crystals.

Refrigerate between uses and it will keep for up to a week.

Brown Sugar is most often made by adding molasses back into fine white sugar. The key takeaway is the beautiful dark molasses flavor it has.

You can make it on the stove or in a bowl. It will be a rich dark brown color but still clear of crystals when ready.

Refrigerate between uses and it will keep for up to a week.

Ingredients: 3 cups water, 3 cups sugar, 2 cups fresh lemon juice, 2 cups fresh lime juice.

Combine water and sugar in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Cool syrup.

Mix syrup, lemon juice and lime juice in a pitcher. Chill until cold.

Can be stored for 1 week, covered and refrigerated.

Ingredients: 2 cups whole black sesame, 6 cups water, 4 cups white cane sugar, 1 tsp Orange Flower Water (or Rose Water), ¼ oz Everclear.

Combine 2 cups of black sesame and two cups of water in a saucepan and cook at 140°F for half an hour.

Drain and blend with two cups of hot water. Pour into a sealed container with two more cups of hot water. Let sit for minimum 4 hours.

Strain using cheesecloth or a 250 micron Superbag. Measure the liquid — you should get about 3½–4 cups.

Add equal parts white cane sugar and black sesame milk into a saucepan. Stir at low heat until dissolved. Add orange flower water and Everclear.

Store in a clean bottle in the fridge. Will last approximately 3 weeks.

Ingredients: 250g sugar, 8 oz hot water, 1½ oz fresh lime juice, 1½ oz freshly grated lime peel, 1 oz citric acid.

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Strain with a fine strainer. Bottle and refrigerate.

Recipe credit: Jeffrey Morgenthaler.

Ingredients: 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 cup unrefined sugar, 1 cup water, 2 cups white grapefruit juice.

Smash cinnamon sticks in a zip lock bag. Add pieces to sugar and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and steep for 15 minutes. Strain cinnamon syrup into a mason jar. Let cool.

Add grapefruit juice to cinnamon mixture and shake. Will keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Use a light rum with a little funk — Plantation 3 Star works well.

Cold steep method: Weigh out 75g of thyme. Add to a 750ml bottle of rum in a sealed container. Let sit for 24 hours. Strain through a chinois with a coffee filter.

Sous vide method: Vacuum seal 75g thyme with 750ml rum. Set sous vide to 140°F. Cook for 1 hour. Transfer to ice bath to cool. Strain.

The cold steep changes the color more than sous vide. Either way, the flavor will be there. Label "Thyme Infused Rum."

Put 135g (about ½ cup) of Werther's hard toffees in a food processor and pulverize into a powder.

Add 200ml (about 7 oz) of gin and the toffee powder to a large lidded glass jar and shake.

Keep shaking throughout the day until the toffee powder is completely dissolved, and you're all set!

Recipe via Craft Gin Club.