DIY in Mixology

In the world of mixology, crafting drinks goes beyond simply mixing ingredients. Today, the Do It Yourself (DIY) trend even extends to syrups, essential elements to perfect your cocktails. You'll discover that making your own syrups is both simple, quick, and accessible to everyone.

Why Opt for Homemade Syrups?

Syrups, used to flavor and sweeten drinks, are key elements in mixology, especially in cocktail crafting. Opting for homemade syrups has several advantages. Firstly, it provides total freedom to unleash your imagination. The possibilities of flavor combinations are endless, limited only by your creativity.

By creating your own syrups, you have total control over the sweetness and aroma dosage in your cocktail. You can achieve a balanced syrup, tailored to your preferences, with unique flavors not always found in stores. Moreover, there is unparalleled satisfaction in savoring a cocktail adorned with your own creation.

Essential Bases for Making Homemade Syrups

The preparation of homemade syrup typically involves infusing a flavoring ingredient, such as fruits, aromatic herbs, candies, or spices, into a clever mixture of sugar and water. This mixture is then heated to achieve the characteristic syrup texture, filtered, and left to cool before bottling.

Before delving into making your syrup, it's crucial to define the sugar and aroma intensities needed to achieve the desired balance in your envisioned cocktail.

The properties of the ingredients used, such as their sweetening power, flavor potential, and form (solid or liquid), will influence the choice of the "sugar/liquid" dosage ratio and the heating method.

Sugar/Liquid Balance: Key Basics to Know

There are three basic sugar/liquid ratios to know, but they can be adapted based on the desired result. It's also essential to taste the preparation gradually to refine it without risking burns.

1. The Poor Base (0.5:1): Contains 0.5 parts sugar to 1 part liquid, which is twice as much water as sugar. Ideal for liquids already very sweet or viscous, such as honey.
2. The Simple Base (1:1): The sugar dose equals the liquid dose.
3. The Rich Base (2:1): The sugar dose is greater than the liquid dose. This is the most commonly used base in mixology.

Regarding liquids, you can use any type, whether water, alcohol, juice, or even vinegar. It all depends on the result you want to achieve.

Preparation Methods: Cold or Hot?

There are two possible temperatures for dissolving and/or infusing ingredients: cold and/or hot. The choice between these methods depends on the properties of the ingredients and the aromas you want to achieve, and you can even combine both.

Cold Preparation: This is the slowest method, but it preserves the initial taste of the flavoring ingredient. For example, for an apple syrup, you can prepare the sugar syrup hot and let it cool before cold-infusing apple pieces.

Cold, you can also use a blender to flavor the syrup, especially for hard ingredients that dissolve difficultly, such as nuts.

Hot Preparation: This is the fastest and most commonly used method in mixology. However, it's crucial not to bring the liquid to a boil, as it can alter the flavors. This method yields "cooked" flavors. For example, by adding apples to the still-hot syrup, they will cook and release cooked apple aromas.

There are several hot preparation techniques, such as the pan, vacuum, radiator, and ultrasound.

Important Tips to Remember:

• If you use alcohol in your syrups, make sure to ventilate the rooms well to dissipate alcohol vapors and avoid discomfort.
• Infusion times vary depending on the ingredients. For example, spices require about 30 minutes, while fresh fruits may require much longer infusion.
• As the syrup cools, the taste intensifies. Be mindful of the dosages to avoid an overly pronounced flavor.

So, to your pots and shakers, and embark on the exciting DIY mixology adventure! Cheers!