Syrup in cocktails. Where from, why and for what reason

 Strange as it may seem, a cocktail is also a mixed drink, and it initially contains sugar by its definition. Not according to that etymological definition, which did not find the truth and connected this word with the cock tail, or with the ale ("cock ale"), or only God knows with what, but according to the definition that every self-respecting barman knows as the historical aspect of mixed drinks. Namely, when this concept appeared, a cocktail was a mixture of alcohol, water, bitter (bitter part) and, attention - sugar!

In the early 19 th century few ingredients were available, and it was necessary to deal with a minimum. But even then, as we see, that minimum already included sweet part. Actually, after a couple of hundred years the situation with respect to sugar has not changed much, the vast majority of cocktails continue to be prepared with sugar. Or, to be more exact, with its substitute - syrup. Because sugar usually needs to be dissolved first, whereas the syrup in a cold cocktail (and in hot) dissolves much faster.

Yes, of course, there is a classic set of cocktails that, mainly, include only alcohol and a little acidic component (usually a lemon or lime juice), however, in these cases these cocktails still include a sweet part. It's just hidden in liqueurs, which are undoubtedly sweeter than distillates.

Therefore, syrups in cocktails, undoubtedly, are kings along with alcohol.

For example, a timeless classic cocktail, embodying the very definition of mixed drink, which we presented at the very beginning, old-fashioned cocktail. It consists of alcohol (bourbon), bitter (bitter concentrated Angostura bitter tincture), water and a piece of sugar. The ingenious is always simple.

It is not too much to say that in modern mixology, syrup is given even more attention than before. Partly, this is due to changes in the taste preferences of the public - in Russia, for example, people still prefer a more sweet range. And, although the tart classic is also honored, but most of those who begin their acquaintance with the cocktails prefer sweet things rather than strong or acidic ones - Pina Colada or, say, Mai Tai are more famous and loved than Manhattan or the same Old-fashioned.

Moreover, there is the greatest variety of sugar, fruit, berry and other syrups for cocktails, which are much easier to buy than elite alcohol, and this is another reason for the prevalence of these sweet drinks.

And we did not mention (but in the future we will also touch on this topic) syrups sweeting agents for ice cream, desserts and home-baked treats! But in the 21st century, mixologists sometimes prepare their masterpieces with methods similar to culinary techniques, and even widely use decorations that are more like a snack, and sometimes even turn into separate, independent dishes!

A separate topic may be the use of syrup in hot drinks - it is worth buying syrup for coffee (or better - two, three or five) and the morning boring cappuccino turns into nut, chocolate or whatever you like!

The same magical transformations can touch tea - barberry, canker-rose, mint and dozens of other flavours, which you can find on our website, can open your craving for creative experiments! And due to the reason that these syrups are also natural (as in our case), you get not only a new taste, but also care about your health that, you will agree, is also important in our "chemical" age!

In the following articles we will tell you about twists (replicas) of classic cocktails, about the basic formulas for making cocktails with syrups (yes, for hundreds of years the mixologists have derived special formulas!), about flavour combinations and teach you winning options and combinations! Stay with us and buy quality, natural syrups!

Sweetfill professional team.