I quite enjoy a good beverage. Something well crafted and fresh yet not too over the top. I’m not just referring to the alcoholic type drinks either. I love fresh lemonades, teas with a bit of spice . . . heck even flavored waters can be super delicious with the right enhancements. Whether it’s a cocktail, mocktail, lemonade or tea; simple syrups are a practical way to shift beverages from boring and predictable to fresh and fabulous.

The best thing about simple syrups is that, as the name indicates, they are very simple to make. Simple syrup, or sugar water as it is sometimes called, is made from two basic ingredients, in equal portions: sugar and water. By stirring the sugar into heated water, you can create a basic sweet syrup that is easily incorporated into beverages. The flavor of the basic simple syrup can be slightly altered by using different types of sugar; turbinado or brown sugar for example.

Where the real magic happens though is when ingredients like fruit, herbs or spices are added to the simple syrup and allowed to steep. This is how you can add unique flavor nuances to any drink, be it alcohol based or not.

 

The Anatomy of A Simple Syrup

SWEETNESS: Logically, a simple syrup is always going to have a fairly significant degree of sweetness. I often change my recipes to a lower sugar to water ratio; i.e. 1 cup water to about 3/4 to 7/8 cup of sugar rather than a full cup of sugar. It depends on what I’m using the simple syrup for. If I’m using the syrup for a lemonade or iced tea, I lean more to the 7/8 of a cup of sugar as I am adding the simple syrup to something that isn’t already sweet on its own. Alternatively, when using the simple syrup for a cocktail or mocktail, which already has it’s own sweetness, I prefer to use only about 3/4 cup sugar.

PRIMARY FLAVOR: This is the most pronounced flavor in the simple syrup (other than sweetness). I often choose a fruit for the primary flavor. Oranges, stone fruits like peaches, plums and apricots, pomegranates, apples, pears and most berries are all good choices. For something really unique, try prickly pear or hot peppers like jalapeños. Sometimes the whole fruit is used while other times, just the peel or zest.

SECONDARY FLAVORS: The secondary flavors are subtle and are often herbs or spices. Many of these ingredients could be too powerful on their own but they work excellently as supportive or secondary flavors. In the herb category: mint, rosemary, thyme and lemon verbena work nicely. For spices, I like working with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, peppercorns, star anise, and vanilla. Also, in moderation, lavender and tarragon are nice options.

A Simple Process For Making Simple Syrup

My favorite way to make infused simple syrups requires only a small sauce pan, a whisk, a sieve or sifter, a funnel and a clean glass container with lid. There are five super easy steps to follow:

ONE: Heat one cup of water in saucepan

TWO: Add one cup of sugar to the hot water and whisk until the sugar is completely dissolved

THREE: Add fruit, herbs and spices. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 2 to 4 hours.

FOUR: Strain the simple syrup to remove all signs of fruit, herbs and spices.*

FIVE: Pour syrup into clean glass containers (use a funnel).

*OPTIONAL: If you used whole fruit, like berries or stone fruit (skinned), you may opt to keep some of the fruit in the simple syrup and use a ‘Bullet’ or hand blender to puree the fruit and syrup together. Make sure you have removed any seeds, pods or stems before pureeing. Afterwards, proceed to step five.

Simple syrups made from fruit pulp or purees last for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Syrups without the pulp or puree have a longer life span – about six to eight weeks. If in doubt, smell the simple syrup before using it. Your nose knows.

Five Fantastic Flavor Profiles

Adding a single flavor ingredient to your simple syrups will help bring your favorite beverages up a notch. However, create your simple syrups with a flavor trio; three ingredients that compliment each other and your drinks will be purely, downright delicious.

How do you create a flavor trio . . . I’m so glad you asked. Many of you already know how much I love and use the book, The Flavor Bible. I honestly can’t express how practically perfect it is for learning how to create deliciously memorable flavor combinations. This book is always – 100 percent of the time – my starting point when developing a new recipe. Check out my post The Best Tool in the Kitchen to get more in-depth details about this fantastic book. If you decide you can’t live without it (I can’t) or that it would make a fantastic gift (it does), you can order direct from the link below.

The powers that be say I have to tell you that I may receive a small commission from Amazon if you do this. There is no difference in the price or shipping by ordering it through this link than if you ordered it on your own. For more details on this go to The Nitty Gritty page on this blog. 

My TOP 5 FALL Flavor Combos For Simple Syrup

Now that you know the basics of making a simple syrup (and how easy it is), I want to share my top five Fall Flavor Combos. These blends of fruits, herbs and spices have evolved from lots of taste tests (oh darn), on-line research . . . and of course recommendations from The Flavor Bible. I hope you have a chance to try one or two; they will surely help you create memorably delicious beverages for the upcoming holiday season.

CHEERS! Prost! Cin Cin! Salud!

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