Simple Syrup

It seems hardly worth a whole post for two ingredients.  However, I am going to continue to refer to Simple Syrup in my drink posts, so it makes sense to write it down.  Simple Syrup is, well, simple.  It consists of boiling water and adding twice as much sugar as water.  You stir until all of the sugar is dissolved and then store it in the refrigerator.  Since so many drinks call for an ounce of the stuff, it is well worth the effort to have it prepared ahead of time.  If you rarely have a cocktail I suppose it makes no sense, but Connie and I are always experimenting with different drinks, so we have an old jar that we use over and over.

We have tried the different formulations, 1:1 and 2:1 (sugar to water) and have found the 2:1 superior in drinks.  The sugar is meant to take the bitterness out of the alcohol and to balance the sour of various fruit juices, such as lemon or lime.  We have decided that 1:1 just doesn't do the job.  Everyone's taste is different, so figure out what you prefer.