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About This Syrup
Few things will get you in the spirit of the holidays quicker than enjoying that first taste of gingerbread!
I made this syrup for the first time to use in the Rhubarb & Gingerbread Negroni, a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was inspired by a similar recipe from Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktai: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm up Winter by Emma Stokes. The book didn’t divulge the author’s preferred gingerbread syrup recipe even though it was in the list of ingredients, so I got behind the bar and tested a few I found online before landing on my favorite version below. It has the perfect amount of spice and a thin texture that is great for using in cocktails. Read on for instructions and recommended tools to make it at home!
Syrup Ingredients
To make this simple syrup, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Gingerbread Spice: This is a baking spice made with fresh ginger root, ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, whole allspice, and whole peppercorns.
Vanilla Extract: This is a sweetener made with vanilla beans, ethyl alcohol, and water. It gives the syrup its vanilla flavor. I used Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract.
Gum Arabic Powder: This is a thickener that will give the syrup a more pleasing mouthfeel. I have yet to find this in-store and usually buy it online.
Honey: This is a viscous sweetener made by bees. We used a locally made honey.
Sugar: This is a sweetener. I used generic white and brown sugar from our local grocery store, but you can also use just brown sugar to give it even more flavor.
Water: This turns the syrup into a liquid. I prefer to use filtered water to prevent contamination.
How to Make This Syrup
When making syrups most recipes will tell you to do so on the stovetop, but I prefer to prepare ours using the sous vide method, which was first introduced to me when reading Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails. I’ve found that syrups made in a saucepan are often too thick and sticky to use in cocktails. Now I use an immersion circulator for almost all of our syrups instead. It does take quite a bit longer, but the vast improvement in taste and texture this method provides makes it worth the extra time.
To make this syrup using the sous vide method, you’ll need the following tools:
Immersion Circulator: This is an electric device that is partially submerged in liquid to circulate it, heat it, and keep it at a stable temperature for precision cooking. I use the Instant Pot Accu Slim Immersion Circulator because it heats up the water quickly and is affordable.
Food Scale: This is used to precisely measure out the ingredients for the syrup. I use the GDEALER Food Scale because it gives me extremely accurate measurements and is compact, which makes it very easy to store.
Large Pot: This is filled with water before the immersion circulator and bag filled with syrup ingredients are placed inside to cook.
Large Freezer Bag: This is used to hold the syrup ingredients when they are placed in the pot to cook. I use Ziploc Gallon Freezer Bags because they are made with a high quality material that can be reused.
Clips: These are used to securely attach the bag to the side of the pot so the top doesn’t sink below the water level. I use Romeda 3 ½-Inch Spring Clamps because they are small, secure, and versatile.
Fine Mesh Strainer: This is used to remove solid ingredients from the syrup during the transfer process. I use the Barfly Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Strainer because its tightly woven mesh is excellent for removing small seeds and pieces of fruit.
Funnel: This is used to transfer the syrup from the bag to the storage containers without making a mess. I prefer to use a small silicone funnel because that type is flexible and easy to store.
Squeeze Bottle: This is used to store the syrup in the refrigerator for immediate use. I prefer OXO Good Grips Squeeze Bottles because they are high quality.
Storage Pouch with Pouring Spout: This is used to store extra syrup in the freezer for later use.
How to Store This Syrup
Once the syrup is made, it will need to be kept cool to preserve its freshness. Whether it will be stored in the refrigerator or the freezer affects the type of container I use, and I make the decision on where to store it based on when I expect to use some or all of the syrup in cocktails.
Refrigerator Storage: I will usually store our syrups in the refrigerator when I plan to use them in a cocktail either right away or within a few days. If that’s the case, I will store some in a condiment squeeze bottle so I can easily pour the syrup into a jigger when I make the drink. It’s rare that I need all sixteen ounces right away though, so I often keep some in the refrigerator and will transfer the rest of the syrup to a pouch so it can be frozen and used later.
Freezer Storage: I will usually store our syrups in the freezer when I don’t think I will use them in a cocktail within a week. If that’s the case, I store them in pouches with pouring spouts because those are made with a flexible material that won’t come open as the syrup expands during the freezing process. I will then thaw the pouches in a bowl of water when I want to use the syrup again.
Flavored syrups like this one should last one to two weeks in the refrigerator and can last up to six months if frozen. I recommend listing the date the syrup was made before storing it so you can keep track of when batches should be used or discarded.
Recipe
This recipe yields approximately sixteen ounces of syrup, which is enough for anywhere from fifteen to thirty-five cocktails depending on the amount needed for the drink.
Fill a large pot with hot water.
Place immersion circulator inside pot of water and set to 145°F.
Peel and rough chop ginger and break cinnamon stick into large pieces.
Add white sugar, brown sugar, and gum Arabic powder to a blender and blend until combined.
Slowly pour 200 ml hot water into blender and blend until sugars are dissolved.
Add ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract and honey to blender and blend for 2-3 more minutes until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Pour ginger mixture into a sealable freezer bag.
Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and peppercorns to bag and stir to mix.
Once the water has heated to 145°F, seal the freezer bag, place it in the water while leaving the top 3-4 inches of the bag outside of the water, and secure the top of the bag to the side of the pot with clips.
Let syrup cook in the pot at 145°F for 2 hours.
Once cooked, place the bag into an ice bath to shock the syrup, then let cool.
Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer 1-2 times to remove any remaining solid ingredients.
Pour syrup into a squeeze bottle or pouch with spout using a funnel, then refrigerate or freeze.
Ingredients
Directions
Fill a large pot with hot water.
Place immersion circulator inside pot of water and set to 145°F.
Peel and rough chop ginger and break cinnamon stick into large pieces.
Add white sugar, brown sugar, and gum Arabic powder to a blender and blend until combined.
Slowly pour 200 ml hot water into blender and blend until sugars are dissolved.
Add ginger, nutmeg, vanilla extract and honey to blender and blend for 2-3 more minutes until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Pour ginger mixture into a sealable freezer bag.
Add cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice, and peppercorns to bag and stir to mix.
Once the water has heated to 145°F, seal the freezer bag, place it in the water while leaving the top 3-4 inches of the bag outside of the water, and secure the top of the bag to the side of the pot with clips.
Let syrup cook in the pot at 145°F for 2 hours.
Once cooked, place the bag into an ice bath to shock the syrup, then let cool.
Strain syrup through a fine mesh strainer 1-2 times to remove any remaining solid ingredients.
Pour syrup into a squeeze bottle or pouch with spout using a funnel, then refrigerate or freeze.
Tools We Recommend
More Syrup Recipes
If you like this syrup, here are a few others we make and use in our cocktails that you may enjoy:
Apple Cinnamon Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with apple cider, cinnamon sticks, and white sugar
Cranberry Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with fresh cranberries, cane sugar, citric acid, and water
Pumpkin Spice Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, white sugar, brown sugar, and water
Blueberry Syrup: A sous vide syrup made with fresh blueberries, white sugar, gum Arabic powder, citric acid, and filtered water
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