Hopefully you’re getting more comfortable making a sour. Did you have to change up the sour recipe when using any of the syrups we made? Did you remember to write down the variations and note your preferences?
I realize there were a lot of upfront costs to get equipment, so let's stick with the sour a bit longer. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, the sour is the base for so many classics including the Daiquiri, Margarita, and Jack Rose, getting it down will make things much easier in the future. But now we’re going to shake things up a bit (pun intended) with some new syrups that will change up the flavors we put into the sour and bring new life to the same drink.
This week we will be making a Ginger Syrup, Cinnamon Syrup and Orgeat (almond syrup). All of these syrups will follow the 1:1 ratio for making syrups. These will take a bit of time to make–about 3 hours–but luckily much of that time is letting the syrups rest, which extracts more flavor.
Now, put a kettle of water on to boil, and let’s start prepping.
TIP: I use cotton squares all the time in my home bar. They are super-easy to make using old linens you probably have around the house. Simply take a clean 100% cotton flat sheet and cut it into squares. I suggest two sizes:
18" square: I use these to strain liquids when juicing if I’m not using an electric juicer. I pack the shredded produce or the pulp into the center, and give it a good squeeze over a bowl. Just give the linen a good rinse when you are done, and you can throw it right in the wash.
12" square: I use these to polish glasses–and also to clean mirrors, windows, pretty much anything I want to shine at home. They don't streak and don't leave lint
Hardware:
Mesh Strainer
Food-Processor, Blender or Hand-held Chopper.
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Masking Tape
Marker
Syrup Bottles
Funnel
Pots with Lids
Container w/ Secure Lid (for shaking)
18” Cotton Square
Large Bowl
Citrus Juice
Ingredients:
Lemons
Refined Sugar
Cinnamon Sticks
Toasted Almonds
Fresh Ginger (hearty amount)
Ginger Syrup
Goes with any spirit. Think of Ginger Syrup like a backup singer: it has the flavors of ginger but plays well with and complements others. The original recipe calls for 3 inches of ginger, however I like mine more intense, so the recipe below doubles that amount.
Recipe for Ginger Syrup
Break off the “fingers” of ginger so you have about 6 inches of ginger
Slice the ginger nice and thin; (There is NO NEED to peel the ginger)
In a pot with a lid Combine:
1 cup of water from kettle
1 cup of sugar
Thinly sliced ginger
Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved into the water.
Cover the pot once the syrup begins to boil.
Let simmer for about 3 minutes
Remove from heat and cover pot; Let syrup sit covered for a minimum of 3 hours to extract flavor
Use cotton square to strain out solids
Use a funnel to fill one of the 10 oz. glass bottles
Label and date the bottle w/ masking tape
Store in fridge
Ginger Juice Syrup
Goes with any spirit. Think of Ginger Juice Syrup more like a lead singer, intensely spiced being that you are using the ginger juice as the liquid. This syrup is going to shine in a drink)
TIP: Ginger syrups will last to two weeks or more like any other syrup. However, they will begin to lose intensity over time. Fresh is always better.
Recipe for Ginger Juice Syrup *WITH A JUICER*
Juice 1 cup of ginger juice
Put in a non-reactive container with a lid
Add 1 cup of refined sugar
Seal container and shake until sugar has completely dissolved
Use a funnel to fill one of the 10 oz. glass bottles
Label and date the bottle w/ masking tape
Store in fridge
Recipe for Ginger Juice Syrup *WITHOUT A JUICER*
--This takes a bit longer than with a juicer, but trust me it’s worth the effort!--
Use a food-processor/chopper/blender/cheese-grater to fine-chop the ginger
Place a portion of the chopped ginger into a damp clean cotton square
Over a separate bowl, squeeze the juice from the ginger by twisting and squeezing the ginger in the cotton square
Continue the process until all of the ginger has been juiced
Place 1 cup of ginger juice in a nonreactive container with a lid
Add 1 cup of refined sugar
Shake until sugar is completely dissolved
Use a funnel to fill one of the 10 oz. glass bottles
Label and date the bottle w/ masking tape
Store in fridge
*Consider both Ginger (Juice) Syrup recipes as templates to use with any botanical of similar consistency, Turmeric for example. Turmeric is pretty intense, though, so I prefer the first method where you combine water with the turmeric and sugar.
Cinnamon Syrup
Goes with any spirit. Works especially well in cocktails with citrus components (Orange, Grapefruit, etc.)
Recipe for Cinnamon Syrup
In a pot with a lid combine
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water from the kettle
Cinnamon sticks (approx 10 grams) broken up into smaller pieces (DO NOT use ground cinnamon, it cannot be strained out)
Stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved
At first signs of a boil, cover pot and turn the heat to low
Allow syrup to simmer for approx 3 minutes
Remove from heat and cover pot; Let syrup sit covered for a minimum of 3 hours to extract flavor
Use mesh strainer to strain cinnamon stick pieces from syrup
Use a funnel to fill one of the 10 oz. glass bottles
Label and date the bottle w/ masking tape
Store in fridge
*Consider the Cinnamon Syrup recipe a template to make any spiced syrup like cloves, star anise, cardamom or a combination of. Just use your electronic scale to way out 10 grams of the appropriate spice/spices, and follow the directions above.
Orgeat (Almond Syrup)
Goes with any spirit. Often used in Tiki drinks. Traditionally, orange blossom water is an ingredient, but many modern recipes omit the orange blossom to make the recipe more universal.
Recipe for Orgeat (Almond Syrup)
Finely chop almonds using a food-processor, blender, hand chopper or chef's knife.
In a pot with a lid combine the following:
1 cup of water from the kettle
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup refined sugar
Stir over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved
Bring to just short of a boil and cover
Let simmer for approx 3 minutes
Remove from heat and cover pot; Let syrup sit covered for a minimum of 3 hours to extract flavor
Use mesh strainer to strain almond pieces from syrup
Use a funnel to fill one of the 10 oz. glass bottles
Label and date the bottle w/ masking tape
Store in fridge
*Consider this recipe a template that can be used with any nut or seed, like pine nuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, etc. Basically if it's a nut or a seed, you can make an orgeat out of it.
Something to think about: You’ll notice all of these syrups follow similar preparation and have similar rest times. If you want, you can get creative and combine spices with nuts etc. For example, one variation I make uses Pecans, 1 Cinnamon Stick (approx 3+ grams) and a pinch of Cayenne Pepper. Play around!
SPLITTING
Splitting can be done to add complexity to a drink. Any drink component can be split: the Base spirit, the Citrus, or the Sweetener. An example of splitting the Base is the combination of cognac and rye in a Vieux Carre.
Being we have a bunch of amazing new syrups–and hopefully a few left from last week–we will start by splitting the sweet component of a sour.
TIPS FOR SPLITTING
The sour template remains the same; You will just be using two syrups instead of one. The sour will still contain .75oz-1oz total of the combined syrups.
Remember, you can always add more, you can not take it out, so add incrementally to taste
Decide what you want to be your primary flavor for the syrup combination. Start with .5oz of that syrup.
Decide what you want to be the secondary flavor. Add .25oz. of that syrup.
Taste and decide if any adjustments need to be made.
Make a sour using this new split syrup.
Taste the sour. Do you need to make any adjustments? Does it need more or less citrus? More of the supporting syrup flavor?
Once you find a winner, write down the recipe.
EXAMPLE OF A SPLIT SYRUP SOUR
2 oz. Bourbon
.75 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz. Orgeat Syrup
.5 oz. Cinnamon Syrup
Shake & Double Strain
*Now try the above but replace the Orgeat Syrup with Grenadine, Demerar or Ginger Syrup. Or try Grenadine or Orgeat with a touch of Chai syrup, Ginger with honey. The point is to have fun and experiment to learn how the flavors combine and play with one another.
THINGS TO REMEMBER AND TRY
You notice that all of these syrups require that you rest them. Whenever you deal with a hard spice or nut you will have to rest the syrup in order to fully extract the flavors from the botanicals. Try making syrups with some of your favorite spices, like turmeric, cloves, anise, etc.
Don’t forget to use your cocktail journal. Write down the recipes for the syrups you have made, and include any new variations on the sour you come up with using your new syrups in your.
These syrups take a little more time to make. Consider making extra to store in the freezer (in a freezer safe container) to keep as part of your “GO BAR” (don’t forget to label and date). Not a perfect situation, but you’ll have something to work with in a pinch.
Don’t forget to rotate your syrups. Use or toss the stuff in your freezer before making the same syrup again.
THINGS TO BUY FOR NEXT WEEK
2 or 3 Cantaloupes
At least 4 Lemons
More Sweeteners if you need them
WEEKLY CHALLENGE
Now that we’re up and running, it’s time to start thinking creatively! Think of a dessert or flavor combination you love; now use that to inspire an original syrup using the techniques you have learned over the past two weeks. For example, the Cinnamon, Pecan and Cayenne Pepper syrups I mentioned earlier. Use this syrup to make a sour.
I’d love to see what you come up with. Share your creation on Instagram with #JRinthehomeBAR and tag me @JRintheBAR
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