# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/21 "2018-03-28T16:39:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > 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. Thanks for empirically testing this. The world is a better place when we test assumptions and gather evidence, even for “facts” as innocuous as this. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/22 "2018-03-28T16:41:50Z")
Pro tip: use a blender to make quick simple syrup you don’t need to wait to cool. ---
**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, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/23 "2018-03-28T16:45:24Z")
Simple Syrup is the first step towards peanut brittle. 😉 One of the easiest candies to make. Sugar, water, and corn syrup cooked to a soft ball. Add peanuts, butter, salt and continue cooking to hard crack. Stir in baking soda, vanilla and spread on parchment paper. Let it Cool. Break into pieces. I used to make a batch every week for many years. I always gave away jars of brittle as gifts. I’m at an age now that hard candy isn’t a good idea. I have several crowns. ---
**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, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/24 "2018-03-28T16:57:25Z")
Instead of brittle, I make peanut patties now. Very similar recipe, except it includes milk. Cook it to a soft ball. Done right, they are soft and won’t harm dental work. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/25 "2018-03-28T17:26:25Z")
Another reason to make a simple syrup by dissolving sugar in hot water is my: Old Fashioned Earl Grey. When making the simple syrup, I first steep a couple good Earl Grey tea bags in the hot water. Once chilled I essentially have a very sweet and very strong iced Earl Grey tea simple syrup. The rest of the recipe is per the traditional Old Fashioned cocktail. Yes, _I_ invented this version of the Old Fashioned and I won’t hear otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/26 "2018-03-28T17:32:02Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > 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. Not cocktail related, but when I was kid, pancakes for breakfast was accomplished by mixing maple-flavored extract into (hot) simple syrup. ETA: not that that was the entire process, but it was a necessary step. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/27 "2018-03-28T17:37:25Z")
Another, oft-neglected, reason for making Simple Syrup: it’s easier than making Complicated 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, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/28 "2018-03-28T18:51:49Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > Thanks for empirically testing this. The world is a better place when we test assumptions and gather evidence, even for “facts” as innocuous as this. Oops. Sorry. I just lost track of time and my experiment. It’s a clear liquid now. Let’s see, what is it now on our clock vs my last post? Looks like 3 1/2 hours since my last post. So somewhere between 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours, without additional stirring, it completely dissolved. So looks like the ballpark 2-3 hours I guess is about right. No, wait, there’s a _tiny_ bit of undissolved crystals on the bottom. Just barely some. So maybe closer to 4 hours, or 2-3 hours if you stir it in regular intervals. Definitely not 45 minutes, though, at least not with my tap water (which, checking with a thermometer my tap was about 65F out of the faucet.) So, no boiling necessary, but a good bit of time required. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/29 "2018-03-28T19:11:52Z")
Maybe the mineral content of the water, or any other impurities, has an effect on the room-temperature time to dissolve sugar. Complicated syrup. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/30 "2018-03-28T19:39:27Z")
Even with syrup, proper mixing isn’t guaranteed. When I put honey in my tea, I often find that the bottom fraction of an inch is sweeter than the rest of the cup was. ---
**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, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/31 "2018-03-28T20:12:57Z")
I made a batch today. 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water. Simmer for about 4 minutes with a few stirs. I have noticed that the color varies a little. Occasionally clear, but mostly a somewhat straw color. I’m guessing that they don’t always get all the molasses out of the cane juice. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/32 "2018-03-28T20:36:47Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I made a batch today. 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water. Simmer for about 4 minutes with a few stirs. > > I have noticed that the color varies a little. Occasionally clear, but mostly a somewhat straw color. I’m guessing that they don’t always get all the molasses out of the cane juice. Or the sugar caramelized a bit while cooking. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2018, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/33 "2018-03-28T20:44:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Simple Syrup is the first step towards peanut brittle. 😉 > > One of the easiest candies to make. > > Sugar, water, and corn syrup cooked to a soft ball. Add peanuts, butter, salt and continue cooking to hard crack. > > Stir in baking soda, vanilla and spread on parchment paper. Let it Cool. Break into pieces. > > I used to make a batch every week for many years. I always gave away jars of brittle as gifts. > > I’m at an age now that hard candy isn’t a good idea. I have several crowns. Small hijack: As you stir in the baking soda and vanilla, add a tablespoon of red pepper flakes. AMAZING! ---
**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, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/34 "2018-03-28T20:46:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Or the sugar caramelized a bit while cooking. Possible I suppose, but I don’t simmer it more than a few minutes. I should check the temperature next time. 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, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/35 "2018-03-28T20:51:18Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > Possible I suppose, but I don’t simmer it more than a few minutes. I should check the temperature next time. > > GaryM No, you’re right. I’ve got my glass of finally completely dissolved 2:1 sugar:water simple syrup, not boiled, and it has the color of a chardonnay. Definitely not clear. Definitely yellowish. ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/36 "2018-03-29T13:30:36Z")
I tend to buy gomme syrup for my mixed drinks: as much sugar as can be dissolved in water, with the addition of gum arabic to stabilise and prevent it recrystalising (and to add a slightly more unctuous richness). ---
**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 29, 2018, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/37 "2018-03-29T15:01:43Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Or the sugar caramelized a bit while cooking. [This is exactly why.](https://www.leaf.tv/articles/why-did-my-boiling-sugar-turn-yellow/) ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/38 "2018-03-29T15:11:57Z")
Because when I want a drink that needs a little sweetening, I want it now, with a minimum of fuss. So there is a bottle of simple syrup in my house at all times. Ice, alcohol, other flavors if needed, squirt, done. The result with sugar is “similar” but not the same and takes more time to dissolve the sugar. (Most people who use simple syrup make it in a batch, it keeps for a long time - ours is kept in a dollar store type plastic ketchup bottle) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/39 "2018-03-29T15:13:34Z")
In the summer, I usually have hummingbird nectar in the fridge (4 parts water, 1 part sugar), so I just use that. Not quite as sweet, but really, if it makes a hummingbird happy… ---
**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 29, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309/40 "2018-03-29T15:25:36Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > [This is exactly why.](https://www.leaf.tv/articles/why-did-my-boiling-sugar-turn-yellow/) Except that, as I noted, the room temperature syrup solution I made yesterday also turned yellowish. As I said, it was about the color of chardonnay, maybe a hair lighter, but definitely looked like there was white wine in my glass. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-use-simple-syrup-when-making-a-drink/811309.md?page=3)