With its ultra-basic ingredients and no-frills recipe, traditional simple syrup is well, pretty simple — but it’s a surprisingly crucial ingredient in a huge array of cocktails. In fact, you’ll find it in just about every bar around the world.
Simple syrup arose out of necessity. Most sour drinks benefit from a little sweetening, which also balances the bite of alcohol.
ALSO TRY: Cranberry cava cocktail
Granulated sugar doesn’t dissolve well in cold liquids, though — especially not in alcohol — so simple syrup, with its sugar already dissolved, is the ideal solution (pardon the pun). Nobody likes a drink with a pile of undissolved sugar sitting at the bottom of the glass!
Cranberry simple syrup
Traditional simple syrup is a mixture of one part sugar and one part water, stirred in a saucepan over heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, and then allowed to cool. So simple!
Another great feature is its decent shelf life. Like jams and jellies that use sugar as a preservative (hence the name “preserves”), simple syrup’s high sugar content imparts bacteria-inhibiting properties. A batch of simple syrup can last for several weeks when stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator.
Here, we’ve added a new, refreshing twist to this traditional bar staple: the sweet-tart flavor of fresh cranberries!
Cranberry simple syrup isn’t just a great way to use up an abundance of those fall favorite fruits — it’s also a more concentrated, flavorful replacement for cranberry juice.
Use it in Moscow mules, sangria, cider, punch, wine, bubbly — in fact, in any drink that could benefit from a zesty, pucker-worthy kick.
Cranberry simple syrup
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 bag cranberries
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients.
- Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture reduces and thickens.
- Strain and store in refrigerator.
- If you like, use the leftover cranberries as a topping on ice cream, with a soft cheese, or like a traditional cranberry sauce.
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