# Why use "Simple Syrup" when making a drink? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309 "2018-03-28T01:37:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/1 "2018-03-28T01:37:02Z")
Many alcoholic drinks call for the use of simple syrup. All well and fine and as the name suggests it is “simple” so you can make it at home with ease (or buy it). But since it is just sugar water why bother? Why not just add a bit of sugar (and water if necessary) to the drink when you make it and skip the syrup part? Seems even more simple that way with a similar result. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/2 "2018-03-28T01:45:12Z")
Sugar water has been brought to a boil to dissolve the sugar into the water. Water and sugar can be stirred but the sugar will never fully dissolve without boiling it. I assume that would make a cocktail with a grainy texture. I rarely drink cocktails and can’t comment for sure. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/3 "2018-03-28T01:48:37Z")
Suger does not dissolve well in cold liquids. Most cocktails are cold. Using simple syrup mixes in with just a stir or two. Additionally, according to Alton Brown, when the suger water is simmered for a few moments the suger breaks down into sucrose and fructose and becomes sweeter than the original suger. GaryM ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/4 "2018-03-28T01:50:53Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sugar water has been beought to a boil to dissolve the sugar into the water. > > Water and sugar can be stirred but it will never fully dissolve without boiling it. It’s this. Adding sugar directly to the drink usually leaves it with undissolved crystals unless you agitate it enough for long enough. It’s a pain in the ass to get it all dissolved when something as easy as simple syrup does the trick. Same thing with making lemonade from scratch. I always make a simple syrup. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/5 "2018-03-28T01:52:29Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Water and sugar can be stirred but the sugar will never fully dissolve without boiling it. Sure it will. It just takes longer. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/6 "2018-03-28T01:52:37Z")
You can just use sugar, but it doesn’t dissolve as well. A traditional old fashioned is made with a sugar cube, but a bit of syrup mixes better. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/7 "2018-03-28T01:54:24Z")
As everyone has said it’s just easier to use to sweeten cold drinks, they don’t have to be alcoholic - for example it works great with iced tea. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/8 "2018-03-28T01:55:35Z")
With simple syrup, the sugar has been pre-dissolved. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/9 "2018-03-28T02:07:38Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Additionally, according to Alton Brown, when the suger water is simmered for a few moments the suger breaks down into sucrose and fructose and becomes sweeter than the original suger. It wouldn’t be sweeter if the disaccharide were broken down into the two monosaccharides and simmering in water wouldn’t break sucrose down. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/10 "2018-03-28T02:13:08Z")
Pfui. When I make an Old Fashioned or a Sazerac, I swirl a little sugar and water together until dissolved, then build the drink on top of it. Not one person has ever said “HEY you didn’t make a simple syrup!” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/11 "2018-03-28T02:16:14Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Pfui. When I make an Old Fashioned or a Sazerac, I swirl a little sugar and water together until dissolved, then build the drink on top of it. Not one person has ever said “HEY you didn’t make a simple syrup!” Actually, you just did. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/12 "2018-03-28T02:35:16Z")
Simple syrup is very convenient to have on hand if you’re going to be using it often. It’s much easier to squirt some syrup from a bottle than it is to scoop sugar from a bag. You don’t have to worry, not even a little bit, about whether your sugar has dissolved properly. It’s also extremely easy to make _infused_ simple syrups, and this is where the true magic of the stuff comes in. A mojito made with mint-infused syrup is going to be much, much tastier than one where the mint flavor comes only from the muddling process. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/13 "2018-03-28T02:35:57Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Actually, you just did. I guess the difference is he did not boil it. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/14 "2018-03-28T02:37:04Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > It wouldn’t be sweeter if the disaccharide were broken down into the two monosaccharides and simmering in water wouldn’t break sucrose down. I was just repeating what he said on one of his shows. GaryM ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/15 "2018-03-28T02:39:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I guess the difference is he did not boil it. When I make simple syrup I use one cup of water and two cups of sugar. You could stir that for hours and it wouldn’t dissolve. GaryM ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/16 "2018-03-28T02:49:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I guess the difference is he did not boil it. Yeah, it’s probably a bit on the “watered down” side of a simple syrup, which is often 1:1, although, as seen above, can be more concentrated. At 1:1, you don’t need to heat it up at all, but it will take about 10-20 minutes to fully dissolve at room temperature. For 2:1 syrup, it looks like [you need about 45 minutes.](https://drinks.seriouseats.com/2013/09/cocktail-science-simple-syrup-do-not-cook-it-unheated-cool-sugar-syrup-for-drinks.html) > [@](#): > > You don’t have to heat simple syrup. The science is simple, really. Sucrose (granulated sugar) dissolves just fine in water at room temperature. How much sucrose? About 2000g/L, or just enough to make a thick 2:1 simple syrup by mass. > > Granted, the sugar takes some time to dissolve. If you’re making a 1:1 syrup, you can simply combine equal parts sugar and water and it’ll do its thing in about 15 to 20 minutes. > > But, for a 2:1 syrup, you’ll probably need closer to 45 minutes, with a good shake or stir at the halfway point. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/17 "2018-03-28T03:25:12Z")
I would imagine that if one was a bartender, expecting to make a whole bunch of drinks in a row, having a few jugs of simple syrup would speed things up a bit. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/18 "2018-03-28T14:32:42Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I would imagine that if one was a bartender, expecting to make a whole bunch of drinks in a row, having a few jugs of simple syrup would speed things up a bit. And time is money, right? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/19 "2018-03-28T16:32:09Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > When I make simple syrup I use one cup of water and two cups of sugar. You could stir that for hours and it wouldn’t dissolve. > > GaryM Just for fun, since I was a little skeptical of that Serious Eats article and its proclamation that after 45 minutes it would dissolve, I’m empirically testing it. So far, I’m at about an hour an a half, and it’s still got lots of visible sugar particulates in it. I started with 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water. I didn’t stir beyond the initial stir until 30 minutes in. At the 30 minute point, there was about a layer of sugar on the bottom of the glass about 1/8 the total volume. I stirred it good, waited another half hour, and we’re at maybe about a tenth. Thirty minutes later, and we still have a cloudy syrup. Tasting it, I’m not getting chunks of sugar granules, but it’s definitely not a clear syrup. I’m guessing it’ll be more like 2-3 hours to completely dissolve. I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/20 "2018-03-28T16:38:44Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > And time is money, right? It’s also courtesy to people waiting for their drinks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309.md?page=2)