Prep Station: Simple syrup

This section of our blog is all about the stuff that happens before service (or, at home, before your friends arrive). Just like in the kitchen, when operating a professional bar, being prepared is key. There´s not a chance we would survive a weekend if we didn´t do certain things in advance. The prep station posts will cover a good number of our prep routines which are mostly quite simple. Sometimes, of course, they are a bit time consuming yet so rewarding.

Simple syrup is a great invention. Super easy and cheap to make, it dissolves in liquids way faster than sugar, because this is already done before adding the sugar in the cocktail. Brilliant! The real beauty of a simple syrup is in its versatility. It produces a great base for you to play with and season as you wish. We encourage you to make a large batch at once, so your playground is open for longer..

The recipe

SIMPLE SYRUP 2:1

Yields approximately 1,3 litres of simple syrup.

Ingredients:
sugar
water

Equipment needed:
a kitchen scale
stove and a pan
OR
a decent blender

Pour 1 kg of sugar in a large pan. Using the scale, measure 600 grams of water. Add the water in the pan and heat while stirring until completely dissolved. The sugar is completely dissolved when you can´t feel a crunch in your teeth when tasting the syrup. Allow to cool and store in a non-reactive container (such as a glass bottle or jar).


If using a blender:

In goes sugar

in goes water

combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until completely dissolved. Syrup done this way is instantly ready to use, because it does not get that hot. Some heating will occur as the blender is doing its job, but it only helps the sugar to dissolve due agitation. You could just shake the whole thing in a bottle until the sugar has dissolved, but a blender is way faster and easier to use.



Now, some things to keep in mind:

- this recipe produces quite a strong syrup, as its made with 2 parts sugar and 1 part water. If a recipe calls for 1:1 syrup, simply use less of this syrup. Most recipes we feature do use the 2:1 syrup.

- 1 kilogram of sugar equals 1,2 l in volume. The density of water being 1, we use 600 grams of water instead of the "logical" 500 grams for 1 kg of sugar to maintain the 2:1 ratio. The point being: BUY A KITCHEN SCALE.