Whether you like your cocktails on the sweeter side or not, few can deny the importance of a syrup in a cocktail that needs it, let alone the cocktail world in general!

It doesn't have to be entirely fancy, either. Never mind your flavored syrups, or infused this-or-thats, at the end of the day, the thing that can make or break a good cocktail could very well boil down to the humble simple syrup.

Using different types of sugar can also yield different flavored syrups!

Syrups Are More Than Sweetness

That's not to say certain variations can't pull their weight. Simple to make (and if used properly) such flavored alternatives could add a extra special kick to any home bar.

Simple syrup is one of those things that has more to it than meets the eye. It's not just sugar and water, it provides many a thing to cocktails that more often than not, go overlooked.

You see, it's not just about sweetness. Simple syrup adds much-needed balance to several cocktails, such as those that use good amounts of citrus. After all, no one likes an overly-mouth-puckering sidecar! A lesser known fact, is that syrups actually bolster the texture of a drink, giving it a more rounded mouthfeel. With better viscosity, flavors of drinks can also be better married together.

This is also why bartenders sometimes refer to syrups as "fat".

An Old Fashioned without sugar would just be...

Syrups Are Pretty Much... Timeless

Syrups might seem like a recent invention, perhaps popularised by cocktail bars which have taken over Instagram with their eye catching concoctions - but really, they've been around much longer! Syrups have been used since as far back as the ancient Egyptians, which made syrups from honey, dates or cane juice. These syrups were used primarily for medicinal purposes, although some were used to contribute to the Egyptians' fondness for sweets and confectionaries.

Even the Romans had their favored syrups. Defrutum was a rather popular, viscous grape syrup that was favored as a sweetener. Curiously, the first "official" use of what might have been considered rudimentary simple syrup, would date as far back to ancient Greece. Named Kykeon, this early cocktail was a mixture of wine, water, honey as well as extracts of aromatic herbs and flowers.

In more recent times, the first known use of syrups in cocktails (and cocktails in general) date back to the early 1800s. "Jerry Thomas's 'How To Mix Drinks; or, The Bon Vivant's Companion,' released in the 1960s, was known to have played a crucial role in boosting their popularity in the United States."

Simple syrup is usually made in a 1:1 ratio of water to sugar, although this can be altered to suit individual taste preferences. Rich simple syrup is also known as Gomme syrup ("gomme" being French for "gum"), often with much more sugar than water used. Traditional recipes often included gum arabic (crystallised sap of the acacia tree), believed to prevent sugar crystallization and create a smoother syrup.

Making Your Own Syrup

For standard simple syrup, the steps are as follow:

1. Heat your desired amount of water in a pot under medium heat until boiling. You may simply use room-temperature water, but note that the sugar will dissolve slower.
2. Pour in your desired amount of sugar in a 1:1 ratio in terms of weight. For the most part, 1 gram of water is 1 ml. Do also note that the finer your sugar, the faster it takes to dissolve.
3. Stir until fully dissolved.
4. You may now add any aromatics or flavor ingredients you wish, and stir some more if you do.
5. You may choose to filter the syrup to remove remnant particles, but I maintain that a well-dissolved syrup using clean water should not have a need for additional filtration.
6. Store in the fridge. If airtight and in a clean bottle, simple syrups can last up to a month, although it's not advisable to use them after three weeks. 

Try it out sometime! After all, it's really not that hard to make. So get cracking if you fancy yourself a cocktail, but can't seem to get rid of that sweet tooth.