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I enjoy many classic cocktails. If they call for citrus or other juice I always use fresh squeezed fruit. Many such drinks use simple syrup. I use superfine bar sugar (which, unlike powdered sugar, contains no starch as noted in another thread). Simple syrup is annoying to make, requires refrigeration and dilutes the drink with water. All downside IMO. Bar sugar dissolves instantly, keeps forever and truly is simple. In fact, the syrup should be called "complex syrup" by comparison. What's the point? Am I missing something here? Please convince me that it produces a better result.
There's no reason to slavishly follow a recipe if you know a better way to do it as long as the drinks meet your standards and are objectively as good or better. Certain recipes, both food and drink, specify marinating fruit in simple syrup. In fact, sugar creates its own syrup when used alone as the water is drawn from the fruit by osmosis. Try it both ways with a strawberry sample. The strawberries treated with granulated sugar will have a more intense taste. Simple syrup has been around for a long time dating to the days when it was very difficult or impossible to gind something like superfine sugar. In earlier times all people could get were larger granules and powder.
There's no reason to slavishly follow a recipe if you know a better way to do it as long as the drinks meet your standards and are objectively as good or better. Certain recipes, both food and drink, specify marinating fruit in simple syrup. In fact, sugar creates its own syrup when used alone as the water is drawn from the fruit by osmosis. Try it both ways with a strawberry sample. The strawberries treated with granulated sugar will have a more intense taste. Simple syrup has been around for a long time dating to the days when it was very difficult or impossible to gind something like superfine sugar. In earlier times all people could get were larger granules and powder.
Because some people don't see a downside to it and it's easier when making drinks in volume and not all cocktails are about how strong they are. If you just want a strong shot buy 151 and be done with it.
If at home you don't mind the extra steps and thinks it works better for you...then great. Use it. It doesn't make you a hipster cocktail purist. Both bar sugar and simple syrup are solid ingredients. .pick what you like best and don't fret that others have different opinions.
Because some people don't see a downside to it and it's easier when making drinks in volume and not all cocktails are about how strong they are. If you just want a strong shot buy 151 and be done with it.
If at home you don't mind the extra steps and thinks it works better for you...then great. Use it. It doesn't make you a hipster cocktail purist. Both bar sugar and simple syrup are solid ingredients. .pick what you like best and don't fret that others have different opinions.
Who's fretting?
And beyond that: "Who said anything about how strong they are? Anyway, that's what a cocktail shaker and ice are for. Hipster purist? Where's that come from? Both are solid ingredients?
Dilution isn't always a bad thing--some drinks are better for it with a little dilution. It's why some drinks are shaken, for example. Also, simple syrup is easy to infuse, so you can easily add another layer to a drink.
And beyond that: "Who said anything about how strong they are? Anyway, that's what a cocktail shaker and ice are for. Hipster purist? Where's that come from? Both are solid ingredients?
What are you talking about?
Solid meaning good/useful/suitable ingredients depending on the specfic application.
While sometimes they can be used interchangeably....doesn't mean they always should be. I don't like using bar sugar in a shaker for example simple syrup works better.
I make my simple syrup from bar sugar. Is that strange???
Not strange but unneeded and more expensive.
Bar sugar is simply superfine sugar that will dissolve easily. This is great when using it in a drink where things are mixed in the glass (such as an Old Fashioned)..but unneeded when put into a solution (like simple syrup) beforehand.
Save some money....save the bar sugar for when it's actually needed.
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