Infusions For co*cktails: Flower Syrup Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What flowers are edible for syrups? ›

To make your own homemade flower syrups, you'll want to start with flowers that are safe to eat. Some common edible species include roses, hibiscus, lavender, chamomile and tulips, but there are many others to choose from. Each of these will produce a smooth, sweet syrup with its own distinctive undertones.

Infused simple syrups are good for around three months, according to Saveur, although they also suggest giving the syrup a sniff test to make sure it still smells good. Syrups that incorporate juices or purees, however, will only last around two or three weeks.

Demerara Syrup

Most commonly made with two parts of the coarse sugar to one part water, the golden-hued Demerara offers a richer flavor than standard simple syrup. Its depth tends to work especially well with darker spirits, in drinks like the Old-Fashioned or the Sazerac.

Pour the boiling water over the flowers or spices, and simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to continue infusing for an hour or so and strain. If in a rush, remember the tea analogy: use a few more flowers, and strain directly after the simmer.

It is important to proceed with caution because several flowers, such as azaleas, buttercups, daffodils, delphinium and wisteria, just to name a few, are poisonous. One very important thing that you need to remember is that not every flower is edible. In fact, sampling some flowers can make you very, very sick.

Refrigerating simple syrup extends its shelf life and slows the future growth of bacteria. You can keep it at room temperature, but it will go bad much faster. If you plan use up it up within a few days, it can be stored at room temperature. Otherwise I highly recommend storing it in the fridge or freezer.

Preserving syrups

Add a neutral spirit, like vodka, to bring your syrup's alcohol-by-volume (abv) up to about 15% to create a syrup that will last at least a few months. This equates to 5 fluid ounces, or a little more than ½ cup of alcohol, for one quart of syrup.

Store it in the cleanest bottle you have, which you should always do. If you bottle syrup when it's still hot, the heat will sterilize the inside of the bottle and further prevent mold from growing for a very long time.

According to Weiss, you can infuse any fragrant, edible plant material such as lavender, mint, basil, lemon verbena, lemon balm, tarragon, or fennel – not to mention the petals of rose and elderflower - in vodka to create a flower or herb martini.

What should you not do in a co*cktail? ›

It's actually quite the opposite, as they all get their shocking color from the butterfly pea flower. This presto-chango ingredient initially makes a drink blue, then turns it purple when it comes in contact with an acidic ingredient—or pink when one with a high pH is added.

Many bartenders and home co*cktail enthusiasts prefer to use rich simple syrup because of the rich syrup's thicker texture. It can add a little more body to your co*cktails. Brown sugar syrup: This variation uses the same 1:1 ratio as regular simple syrup, but with light or dark brown sugar.

Grenadine, Orgeat, and Simple syrup are the syrups used in many a classic co*cktail. Grenadine is a bar syrup that is instantly recognized by its bright red color. What many drinkers don't know, is that grenadine is a pomegranate flavored syrup.

Garnish entrées, sweets, and drinks with nasturtium, pansies, roses, and other petite and pretty blooms to add an unexpected flavor complement—and create a truly eye-catching presentation.

Other Trees for Syrup

When it comes to tapping trees for sap, many maple varieties are excellent options. Walnuts and birch trees can work well too, and boxelder and sycamore have also been tapped. The sugar content of their sap is less than that of sugar maple, so it takes more sap to create a gallon of syrup.

Sugar maples aren't the only sappy trees that can be tapped to make syrup. Living on Earth's Bobby Bascomb visited syrup producer David Moore in New Hampshire to taste and learn about syrups made from birch, beech, walnut, and other trees.

Honeysuckle – The long flower tubes of various honeysuckle species are edible, but Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is best, with its distinctly honey-like flavour.