Making sugar syrup

You can also make sugar water cold, without a stove. Put the sugar and water in a clean jar with a lid, close it and shake for two minutes; then let it stand for fifteen minutes and shake it once more. The sugar dissolves completely as long as the ratio remains one to one. Made cold, the syrup tastes slightly cleaner because nothing cooks down, and you do not have to wait for a hot pan to cool. For the thicker two-to-one version, heat works faster, as that amount of sugar dissolves slowly when cold.

In a clean, sealed bottle in the refrigerator, one-to-one syrup keeps for about a month. The thicker version with twice as much sugar lasts longer because sugar itself acts as a preservative. Rinse the bottle with boiling water beforehand and let it dry, because whatever bacteria remain inside determine the rest. A bar spoon of vodka per half liter extends its shelf life a little further without being noticeable when you taste it. If you see flakes, strings, or cloudy white discoloration, throw the syrup away; boiling it again will not save it.

In English-language recipes, this is called simple syrup, usually followed by 1:1. American books measure by volume, which makes it a fraction sweeter than weighing, because a cup of sugar weighs more than a cup of water. At home, this makes little difference; stick to one method and your recipes will remain consistent with one another. If you come across rich syrup or gomme, these are thicker varieties that you use in smaller amounts. Dutch recipes often simply say syrup without specifying a ratio; assume that one-to-one is intended.

Whatever sugar syrup cocktail you make, the amount is usually between half and two centiliters. In a sour with 2 cl of lemon juice, 2 cl of syrup is the classic counterpart; with sweet liqueurs, a bar spoon is enough. A Mojito gets about 1.5 cl, an Old Fashioned half a centiliter. Measure instead of pouring, because syrup flows slowly and you will automatically pour too much. When in doubt, start low and add half a centiliter after tasting, because you can always add syrup, but you cannot take it out. Measuring cups in two sizes are available with the jiggers.

The classic sour formula is two parts spirit, one part citrus, and one part syrup - which immediately gives you a reason to keep syrup at home. You can see that most clearly in the Whiskey Sour: without syrup, 2 cl of lemon juice is undrinkable, while with syrup the acidity retains exactly the sharpness the bourbon needs. Adjust the syrup to your citrus, not the other way around, because lime is more acidic than lemon and a ripe fruit can easily make a difference of half a centiliter.

Regular white granulated sugar produces the most neutral syrup and leaves the drink colorless. Cane sugar or demerara adds caramel notes and a light brown color, which works well with rum and whiskey and less so with gin or vodka. Powdered sugar dissolves faster but contains starch, making the syrup cloudy. For most cocktails, white sugar is therefore the safe choice, while you can keep brown sugar for drinks where that flavor fits. Store both types dry, because lumpy sugar is difficult to weigh accurately.