Many cocktail recipes call for sugar syrup, but it’s not something that everyone is likely to have hanging around their kitchen cupboards.
The good news is that it’s incredibly easy to make at home.
To make a regular sugar syrup simply combine one part sugar with one part water and gently heat over a low-to-medium heat on your kitchen hob, stirring regularly. As soon as the sugar has dissolved then your syrup is ready; just let it cool and then decant into a clean bottle.
Regular sugar syrup will last about a month if kept chilled in the fridge, but it will eventually spoil and grow mould. You can extend the shelf life by making a ‘rich’ sugar syrup which is two parts sugar to one part water… and adding a slug of vodka will also make it last a little longer.
Should you need to make sugar syrup on-the-hoof then by combining sugar and water in an airtight container and giving it a very vigorous shake will also create something that is workable.
You can use any sugar for sugar syrup but for drinks such as mojito brown sugar is preferable, whilst a Daiquiri does well with white sugar. But obviously experiment at home and see what your preferred sugar syrup mix is.