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Whats your simple syrup recipe?


ramblinman
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Lately I've had a taste for old fashioneds (how the heck do you plural that correctly?). Real basic recipe, splash of simple syrup, couple dashes of bitters, and somewhere between 2 and 3 oz of something >= 100pf and either high rye bourbon or a straight rye.

But anyway, I've played with a few different ratios and techniques for making the simple syrup. My last batch I did 2:1 sugar:water and didn't use heat, just shook the hell out of it in a cocktail shaker for a few minutes. Seemed to be nice and viscous, all in all not bad.

Went to the farmers market tonight, and having read about others using demerara sugar I decided to give some minimally processed cane sugar a try.

Drinking my first cocktail with it now, and I haven't made up my mind. Its good, but has a lot of molasses notes that seem to be muffling out everything else, even with a heavy pour of Bookers. Makes it feel fairly rummy.

So what do you guys do for sweetener in an old fashioned? Standard sugar cube, bought simple syrup, white sugar, cane sugar, demerara, etc?

Cheers.

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I buy Stirrings SS. My wife uses it for cooking, too. I tried making my own, but I do the dishes, and that meant I had to clean up whenever I made a batch. In short, buying SS means I avoid pan cleaning, watching the heat, cleaning dirty containers, filling clean containers, finding clean containers, getting organized, measuring, etc., . . .

That said, for Old Fashioneds, I use one cube of Gilway's Demerara dissolved in 2 oz. of (some kind of) whiskey (but not a rye). I let it sit about five minutes before stirring so the cube breaks down. One of those tiny battery operated whisks used to produce foam in coffees works when I'm exceptionally lazy.

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I've started buying it from the local bottle shop now - about $5 for a 750ml bottle. The main advantage is it has preservatives in it that stop it going off. Previous batches of simple syrup made at 1:1 tend to only last a couple of weeks in the fridge before mold starts growing.

Having said that, I always use a single sugar cube for my Old Fashioned cocktails, soak it in bitters, add a splash of water and muddle it with a piece of orange peel.

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Right now I have a 2:1 turbinado (is that the same as Demerara just bigger crystals maybe?) syrup in the fridge, but I too find the molassesy notes can overpower. I always do a 2:1 ratio, keep in the fridge, and add a splash of vodka to my syrup because all are supposed to keep it from spoiling for longer. Never had a batch go off before it was used up that way. I'm learning I like just plain white sugar as the base though, after trying all sorts of brown/raw sugar, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc. alternatives.

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I follow all of those steps, except rinsing the bottle in vodka... who knows, that could be the secret :cool: In saying that, I'm not the only one in my area that has the problem. It could be because where we are here (in Australia) is sub-tropical. I'm guessing the heat and humidity could be a factor.... as we tend to make simple syrup for use mainly in the warmer months.

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I dissolve Demarara in water (60/40) over heat, then add a bit of vodka, and keep it in a plastic squirt bottle in the fridge.

Never had a batch go bad. It is a bit more "caramel-ly" than cane sugar, but I like it that way.

Occasionally, I will revert back to a bitters-soaked cube, when I'm not feeling lazy.

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I use different ratio's and assembly depending on the type of sugar or sweetener and use a scale to do it by volume. Regular sugar i do 2:1, i find this sugar dissolves much easier then others so i just boil water with a tea kettle and pour it into the bottle with the sugar and shake. For Demarara, Cane and Honey i use 1:1 and do it in a small pot on the stove. And for citrus SS i use a 1:1 ratio of juice with regular sugar and slowly dissolve on the stove top. Before juicing the (lemon, orange, lime, etc..) I use a Y peeler and take off the zest. As soon as all is dissolved i drop in the zest and let sit for 10min then strain through cheesecloth. I have a killer blood orange SS right now that is great in an old fashioned. Also I add a small amount of vodka (how much depends on how much SS you make) as this extends the life of it in fridge for some extra weeks and doesent really alter the flavor for cocktails.

Edited by BonVivant84
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For an Old Fashioned I prefer a high rye bourbon (Fighting Cock works really well) and a simple syrup made with 2 parts dark brown sugar, 1 part water. I just pour the syrup into a small tupperware container, usually make enough to just last a few days (by then I'm over Old Fashioned cocktails for a while).

muddle an orange wedge (peeled, no pith) and a couple of maraschino cherries into a tablespoon or so of the above simple syrup, add a good portion of Fighting Cock, stir well, add ice, garnish with orange peel rubbed onto the rim and dropped into the drink. With this bourbon you won't need bitters (too expensive anyhow).

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I follow all of those steps, except rinsing the bottle in vodka... who knows, that could be the secret :cool: In saying that, I'm not the only one in my area that has the problem. It could be because where we are here (in Australia) is sub-tropical. I'm guessing the heat and humidity could be a factor.... as we tend to make simple syrup for use mainly in the warmer months.

Queensland wants you to drink rum, you cannot escape!

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Queensland wants you to drink rum, you cannot escape!

Well I did try an Old Fashioned made with spiced rum at a bar recently. It was damn tasty!

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1:1 ratio with regular ol white sugar. I've never had a batch go bad cause I probably drink it to fast. I also like to make mint syrup for quick and easy mint juleps. I just add a tablespoon of dried mint into a cup of boiling whater then slowly add in a cup of sugar. Then strain it through a coffe filter.

I use to be all about muddled fruit in my Old Fashoned.... Now I just enjoy .5 oz syrup, 3 oz bourbon (HHBIB or OGDBIB) 2 or 3 dashes of bitters, one ice cube, and I'll drop in cherry

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I bought some Gomme Powder off of Amazon. I've found Gomme syrup gives a nicer mouth feel and coating without overwhelming. I would recommend. I've tried several different recipes with different types of sugar and just prefer regular sugar and the Gomme recipe.

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I keep three different syrups around routinely (four if you count my semi home made grenadine I suppose). A 1:1 simple syrup, a 2:1 Demerara syrup (mostly for tiki applications) and a 1:1 honey syrup. A splash of Everclear and refrigeration seems to keep them in good shape for the long term. Never had any develop mold.

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I do 1:1 and dissolve the sugar as the water simmers, then heat it for a few minutes, keeping it from boiling.

I've had bottles last months (in the fridge, of course), but a few weeks ago we made a quick small fresh batch for margaritas and it was pretty quick, so I'm tempted to make it more often for freshness.

I store it in an empty water bottle, but any well cleaned glass or plastic bottle should be fine.

Seems crazy to pay so much for sugar water

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WT American Honey. Proabably because I'm too lazy to make my own syrup or take the time to disolve sugar cube

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  • 6 months later...

I saw an 8oz bottle of simple syrup in the store this past weekend. The price sticker was $7.99 each!  :rolleyes:

It made me think of the frozen pancakes, Texas toast and PB&J 

Edited by Darwin
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  • 6 months later...
On 3/23/2015 at 3:26 PM, BonVivant84 said:

I use different ratio's and assembly depending on the type of sugar or sweetener and use a scale to do it by volume. Regular sugar i do 2:1, i find this sugar dissolves much easier then others so i just boil water with a tea kettle and pour it into the bottle with the sugar and shake. For Demarara, Cane and Honey i use 1:1 and do it in a small pot on the stove. And for citrus SS i use a 1:1 ratio of juice with regular sugar and slowly dissolve on the stove top. Before juicing the (lemon, orange, lime, etc..) I use a Y peeler and take off the zest. As soon as all is dissolved i drop in the zest and let sit for 10min then strain through cheesecloth. I have a killer blood orange SS right now that is great in an old fashioned. Also I add a small amount of vodka (how much depends on how much SS you make) as this extends the life of it in fridge for some extra weeks and doesent really alter the flavor for cocktails.

DAMN!  blood orange SS sounds like it would be amazing in an old fashioned.

 

when you are making a fruit SS what sort of quantity are you making and how long will it last in the fridge?

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Classic simple syrup is equal parts water to sugar heated until sugar granuals are gone 

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19 hours ago, altadoc said:

DAMN!  blood orange SS sounds like it would be amazing in an old fashioned.

 

when you are making a fruit SS what sort of quantity are you making and how long will it last in the fridge?

 

half a cup of juice to a full cup.  adding high proof vodka extends it a bit, but after 2 weeks or so it will begin to lose its pop, but prob wont go bad bad for a month.  With no added alcohol i wouldnt go more then 5 days to a week.  If you do make this with juice make sure to do it with the lowest possible heat slowly or it will flatten the flavor........and pull it off as soon as 95% of the sugar is dissolved..... the rest will eventually get there

Edited by BonVivant84
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"Stirrings"[tm]  I'm a lazy faht.:P  AND, it is $6 (at most) for a 12 oz. bottle.

Edited by Harry in WashDC
addthe price
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  • 4 months later...

 I use 1:1 ratio with plain old white sugar. I also make a Coca Cola simple syrup (1 part Coke to 1 part water) for a grown up Bourbon and Coke (add a splash of bitters and orange peel). I've used the same recipe with Cheerwine for a Cherry Cola syrup for a different take on the Old Fashioned. I've also used apple juice for an apple simple syrup and plan on trying the blood orange mentioned above. That sounds really good. Thanks for the tip on the vodka! I have had a batch go bad, but I'll definitely try this from now on.

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BD - We have done this with the Stirrings SS: add fruit juices and even herbs to make infusions for cocktails.  Adding a little vodka has no affect on taste and does contribute, with the sugar, to a longer shelf life.  SS also makes a blood orange bitters that's really an infused SS. [ASIDE: I have no direct interest in Stirrings; I just like their products.]  AS others have said, low heat works best.

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  • 2 years later...

Bumping this rather than starting a new thread. Has anyone figured out a ratio/recipe for an old fashioned syrup?

When I’m at home I make mine with enough simple syrup (1.5 Demerara to 1 water) to cover the bottom of a double old fashioned glass and a couple shakes of bitters. If I have fresh citrus I express an orange peel and sometimes a lemon. I suppose I could measure what those amounts are and do the math, but previous experience scaling up recipes by 100-fold shows that doesn’t always work out well.

I’m not looking for a short cut at home, but when I’m in the woods (e.g. camping on a river trip) or traveling having a single bottle to easily convert bourbon to tasty cocktail would be nice convenience.

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On 2/6/2019 at 8:06 PM, evasive said:

Bumping this rather than starting a new thread. Has anyone figured out a ratio/recipe for an old fashioned syrup?

When I’m at home I make mine with enough simple syrup (1.5 Demerara to 1 water) to cover the bottom of a double old fashioned glass and a couple shakes of bitters. If I have fresh citrus I express an orange peel and sometimes a lemon. I suppose I could measure what those amounts are and do the math, but previous experience scaling up recipes by 100-fold shows that doesn’t always work out well.

I’m not looking for a short cut at home, but when I’m in the woods (e.g. camping on a river trip) or traveling having a single bottle to easily convert bourbon to tasty cocktail would be nice convenience.

Not completely sure what you are asking. How much simple and bitters to add to the bourbon when one is on the road? It is a matter of personal taste of course but typically I add a barspoon/teaspoon of syrup to about 2.5 to 3 oz of whiskey. A barspoon/teaspoon is typically about 5ml or 1/6 of an ounce (A teaspoon is more consistent as some barspoons vary in size). Of course you are doing a 1.5:1 ration for your simple syrup so it is a bit sweeter. A traditional simple syrup is 1:1 and a "rich" simple syrup is 2:1 so you are in between. Not sure I would express any citrus oil in the syrup in advance. Citrus juice itself goes bad pretty quickly although I am not sure what the shelf life of citrus oil is. I like to use a little orange and a little angostura bitters together, maybe a couple of dashes of each. A dash is a VERY loose amount and so it is a bit hard to quantify it. I would estimate it to be about 0.7 oz per dash. So maybe 7 dashes would equal 5 ml. so if you used two orange and two angostura dashes you would need 10 ml of each type for every 35 ml (7 x 5ml) of simple syrup. Which is enough for about 7 drinks.

 

Give or take... ;)

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You understood my question. I’m wondering if anyone has worked up a syrup/bitters ratio for a ~10 oz bottle. I doubt I’d bother with a citrus peel; I don’t always when making a fresh drink at home. Not that having a bottle of bitters on hand in addition to a bottle of syrup is a major inconvenience, but my thought was to reduce for simplicity in a camp kitchen.

I suppose I’ll just make my next few old fashioneds on a digital scale and average out the ratio. Maybe I’ll try it once and decide it’s not worth it, but Internet forums are for asking questions so what the heck.

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