What is syrup?
Syrup is a thick concentrate that is created from liquids that contain sugar. These liquids include fruit juices, sugar beet juice, plant extracts or simply sugar water. Syrup has many uses and is found not only in the kitchen and in bars but also throughout the food industry: The famous orange juice concentrate that is used for the production of many orange juices is actually a syrup. One ingredient that plays a big role in the production of many food items today is glucose syrup. It is usually made from plants like corn, potatoes or wheat and is used as a replacement for beet or cane sugar.
The history of syrup
Since syrup can be produced from many different kinds of products, it has been used all around the world at different times. Maple syrup, for example, was discovered by Native American tribes who cooked the juice of the sugar maple and created a concentrate. In Europe, syrup was probably first produced in medieval times and was initially used as a medical remedy.
How is syrup produced?
Since syrup is a concentrate, it is usually created by thickening the juice from certain plant-based food items. Popular items for this purpose are fruit, sugar beets, agave juice, maple juice, rice or malt. The thickening is typically done by chopping up the item and cooking it several times until only a thick concentrate is left. During this process, additional sugar can be added.
If you enjoy cooking, you can even create your own fruit syrup. First, the fruits have to be cooked until they’re soft, and then they need to be pressed through a sieve. Afterwards, sugar is added to the fruit mash and the mix is cooked a second time.
Classic usage of syrups
Traditionally, syrup is used as a spread or sauce for deserts, however, it has become a popular ingredient in mixed drinks of all kinds. Syrup is very aromatic and can be combined with spirits like gin, vodka, tequila and other ingredients. While most syrups are used to refine the taste of a drink, there are some cases where syrups are exclusively used for their colour.
What special syrup brands are there?
The most famous syrup brand is probably the French company Monin which has been producing syrups and liqueurs in all possible flavours since 1912. Today, there are more than 100 different varieties available – one reason why most professional bars are equipped with Monin.
Syrup at Gustero
When we created our shop, it was not only important to us to offer you high-quality spirits and alcoholic drinks; we also wanted to provide access to the best ingredients for mixed drinks of all sorts. That’s why you will find dozens of syrups in countless flavours in our shop, including cranberry, banana, cucumber, mango, almond, caramel, peppermint and coconut. Of course, we also carry a selection of special bar syrups like grenadine, falernum syrup or blue curacao.
