There are advantages in using shop bought syrups in your cocktails. On the face of it, you may be keen to start making your own syrups. To mess about with the ingredients and understand the process. To produce something which you’ve made from scratch. Most syrups are fairly easy to make. You simply combine the flavour that you want with sugar and water.
Make your own sugar syrup (aka simple syrup)
Making sugar syrup is something I do routinely. It’s a key ingredient in many cocktails and I’m reluctant to pay upwards of £5 to buy a bottle of something I can make at home. You can find my recipe for sugar syrup here. However, homemade syrups generally don’t last as long as the shop bought versions. Sure, the reason is that they have additives and preservatives to make them last if they’re being manufactured by a brand. Incidentally sugar syrup is also referred to as simple syrup. They are the same thing and so interchangeable in your cocktails. My experience with sugar syrup is that it generally lasts 3-4 weeks stored in the fridge. I make quantities of 200 ml at a time and always sterilise the bottle with boiling water before making it. You can tell when the syrup starts to go ‘off’ as mould spores start to form in the liquid. At that point I simply tip it down the drain and start the process again. Consequently, I strongly advise that you make and store any sugar syrup in a clear bottle.
Wayne Collins & ITV’s Saturday morning kitchen
Years ago at a trade show in London called Imbibe live I had the honour of meeting and chatting to the renowned bartender Wayne Collins. He became famous with his weekly appearance on the TV cookery show Saturday morning kitchen presented by Tim Lovejoy & Simon Rimmer. Although I didn’t allocate the necessary 2-3 hours to watching the entire programme – as interesting as it was, nevertheless I did try to make sure I was in front of the screen by about 10:50 so I could watch Wayne talk to us about his cocktail of the week and how to make it. Sadly taken from us at the age of just 52. I posted an article here.
We discussed pre-make syrups
So it was great when I had the chance to chat to him briefly. I can’t remember why, but our conversation got onto the topic of using pre-made syrups. I’m a big fan of the Monin range as it is so extensive and covers most of the flavours I would ever want to work with in cocktail making. Whilst not every flavour they make is fabulous, the majority are great. The point Wayne Collins made to me was that by using pre-made syrups, you could at least guarantee the consistency of your cocktails. I agree with that wholeheartedly. Furthermore, because they last anything up to a year, I can get much more out of having a wide range of syrups than I ever could by making them myself.
Keep exploring new flavours
I have also used Funkin pro syrups particularly when they extended the range. They produced small bottles of jalapeno, rhubarb syrup and even smoke syrup. Sadly, since COVID they’ve reduced their range and binned these new flavours. Fortunately, the French brand Monin now also produce a spice syrup which has a picture of a chilli on the bottle so I guess this will replace my jalapeno syrup. They also make rhubarb syrup which is a key part of my popular rhubarb martini. Phew! Happy mixing.