Syrups and Sweeteners, Liqueurs and Soda Syrups
Quick Links
- Orgeat is traditionally an almond-based syrup used in cocktails such as the Mai Tai. Some bars have moved to other variations of orgeat because almonds are said to use a lot of water, though this is now disputed.
- Recipe for orgeat from leftover almond croissants.
- An article on various alternate orgeats (no recipes).
- Queen's Park in Birmingham, AL makes orgeat (recipe here) and then uses this orgeat in their Falernum.
- Uses for leftover almond solids after making orgeat are found on the Other Produce page - see Nuts.
- Alternative Orgeat
- Make orgeat from leftover popcorn [mentioned here from The 18th Room in NYC]
- Black Sesame Orgeat Recipe from Luuk Gerritsen, along with a drink to use it in
- The leftovers from this sesame seed orgeat are tahini, from Aisling Gammill
- Jeffrey Morgenthaler's recipe for Lime Cordial
- Nicholas Box uses this basic cordial recipe with lemon and then uses it as simple syrup in lemonade.
- No-zesting required lime cordial recipe from Sidebar in Oakland.
- Luuk Gerritsen's Lime Cordial recipe that uses lime tree leaves.
- Andreas Sanidiotis of Lost + Found Drinkery makes a lime oleo saccharum and adds leftover lime juice to make his cordial.
- Coffee liqueur from used coffee grounds
- In a New York Times article, Claire Sprouse of Hunky Dory describes the process of using coffee grounds, "Instead, she makes what she calls “old-brew,” running the grounds through a second brew cycle. The bitter, diluted result isn’t something you’d necessarily want to drink out of a coffee mug, but when combined with equal parts sugar, it becomes a syrup ideal for use in an espresso martini or an old fashioned."
- Breanne Rupp of Boat Drinks Bar in St. Augustine, Florida also shares her recipe for "foolproof leftover coffee grind liqueur."
- Falernum recipe from Laura Newman of Queens Park Birmingham that uses their own orgeat as a sub-recipe
- The falernum from Boston’s Seth Freidus uses citrus husks rather than fresh citrus
- The orange liqueur and citrus vodka from Boston’s Seth Freidus uses citrus husks rather than fresh citrus
- Apple liqueur made with apple pulp after juicing
- Nicholas Box uses the Morgenthaler recipe to make maraschino cherries, and then uses the leftover syrup in a cocktail.
- Grenadine
- Some bars make their own grenadine splitting POM pomegranate juice with equal volume of sugar.
- Meryll Cawn says you can use leftover syrup from maraschino cherries as grenadine, or to stretch grenadine.
- Make pineapple syrup from pineapple skins and scraps after juicing/slicing.
- Make apple core and beer syrup from expiring flat beer from kegs.
- You can also make reduced wine syrups similarly from leftover wine.
Storing and Preserving Syrups
Syrups are already a preservation method for fresh ingredients. However what if you've got a lot?
- Vacuum-seal your syrups and freeze them, as Aisling Gammill recommends.
Making your own syrups for sodas cuts down on the bottles and shipping from commercial brands.
Ginger Beer
- Ginger syrup recipe from Nicholas Box of Acorn in Vancouver
- Jeffrey Morgenthaler's recipe for fermented ginger beer.
Tonic Water
- Tonic syrup recipe from Nicholas Box of Acorn in Vancouver that uses citrus scraps
- Make a "Trash Tonic" with spent citrus, gentian, and other herbs
Grapefruit Soda
- Carbonated grapefruit soda recipe using grapefruit juice and oleo saccharum plus some isolated acids on the Trash Tiki website
Shrubs are syrups, often fruit or berry-based, with sugar and vinegar.
Shrub Recipes
- How to Make Shrub Syrups
- How to Make Shrubs (aka Drinking Vinegars) Without a Recipe
- Summer Fruit Shrub
- How To Make Strawberry Shrub and What to Do With It
- Resources for Beekeeping
- Books
- Websites
- An easy way to get started is to perform a web search for beekeeping in your city. There may be community groups, resources, and local experts to hire.
- Bee Built: Beekeeping for Beginners
- The Spruce: Beekeeping for Beginners Step By Step