Jalapeño Simple Syrup

Long Winded Instructions

This syrup will imbue your cocktail with a jalapeño flavor and a satisfying slow burn on the finish.

Simple syrup is equal parts sugar and water. It will not be thick like maple syrup. It’s closer to what you’d make for hummingbirds rather than what you’d put on pancakes. However, it’s perfect for cocktails.

The instructions for most of the syrups are basically the same. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if we literally copy and paste a good portion of this text to all of the syrup recipes. So, once you make your first and determine just how simple it really is, you’ll be making syrups left and right. It will take your mixology to a new level.

You can use white or any shade of brown sugar. Brown sugar makes the syrup more rich, especially dark brown. That is usually what we prefer. However, for some cocktails you want to bring the sweet without otherwise altering the character of your recipe. In those cases, white sugar is your best bet.

In this case, the jalapeño flavor and heat is strong and will likely be the star of the show depending on which cocktail you mix it into. If nothing else, it will be vying for your attention in the mix.

Start by chopping your jalapeños. You will end up straining away the actual pepper, so no need to worry about size. You don’t have to eviscerate the pepper in a chopping frenzy in order to keep jalapeño chucks from ruining the aesthetic of your cocktail. What you’re going for here is enough cuts to aid in transferring that flavor and heat into your syrup. Small enough to maximize this exchange, but large enough to easily capture during straining. Keep the seeds and inner flesh of the pepper too as they all contribute when the syrup is soaking.

Throw all ingredients into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for awhile. The sugar will already have dissolved by this time, but I like to give it a good 15 to 20 minutes to try to draw out the flavor of the pepper.

The syrup is ready to use as soon as it cools. However, if you prepare it the day before you need it and let it soak in the fridge overnight, you will be rewarded with stronger flavor and heat.

You can easily scale up the recipe to make larger batches and therefore more cocktails. Your syrup should last one to two weeks when stored in the fridge in an airtight container.