Simple & Rich Syrups

SIMPLE SYRUP:
- 1 part Water
- 1 part Sugar

RICH SYRUP:
- 1 part Water
- 2 parts Sugar

PREPARATION:

• Weigh your ingredients. (I prefer to do it by weight for more accuracy.)
• Combine sugar and water in a bowl and heat it on the stove.
• Bring the liquid to a slight simmer. (Bubble start to form continuously, but it is not boiling like crazy.)
• Pour syrup into a sterilized container. (I usually sterilize my bottles with boiling water.)

Sugar syrup is one of the primary sweeteners for cocktails. It is incredibly easy to make, therefore I prefer to do it myself, so I have a bit more control over how much sugar goes into my cocktails.

Simple syrup made this way have a shelf life of 1-2 weeks in a fridge. Rich syrup, however have a shelf life of months (sometimes more than half a year) if kept in a fridge. You can extend shelf life of simple syrup by a couple of weeks by adding one or two tablespoons of vodka after the syrup is prepared. It will change the taste slightly, but in a proper cocktail it will not be perceptible. Works well under home-bar conditions. Alternatively you can make a batch of rich syrup (which has long shelf life) and dilute it with water, down to simple syrup level, when you make your cocktails.