Simple Syrups for Simple Drinks

When I first took the Dry January challenge, my goal was to make a different nonalcoholic beverage for every day of the month and come up with a variety of recipes to stay on track. I spent a lot of time researching, testing, and rating recipes and a lot of money on ingredients. Some of the drinks were hits and some were definite misses. But what I really came up with is a handful of techniques that can be used to satisfy a full- or part-time teetotaler, whether you are taking the Dry January challenge or just looking for an alternative to a soft drink for yourself or your friends and family who don’t drink. If you have simple syrup on hand you can make a host of delightful nonalcoholic beverages and be in control the flavor, the sweetness, the calories, and the effort. I pulled recipes for six variations on simple syrup and posted them separately to get you started.

Chances are you have sugar, honey, club soda, and fresh limes in your pantry. If not, add them to your shopping list along with some fresh ginger, tonic water, cranberry juice and maybe some oranges. If you can get your hands on fresh mint, you won’t be sorry when you try the virgin mojito. My Kroger store (Smith’s) sells mint in bunches but their supply is limited. Unless you want to drop the money on those tiny packages of herbs, I’d suggest you wait until it is in stock or growing in your yard.

My favorite nonalcoholic beverage is the Virgin Mojito. It didn’t land #1 on my list because there is some effort beyond pouring wine into a glass, and that was one of the criterion for rating the drinks. But do celebrate yourself and your friends, and take some time with the ceremony of the beverage - even a dry one. Make the Virgin Mojito just like you would a regular mojito but leave the rum out. I was shocked when I tried this version because it tasted the same to me. And that makes sense. A mojito is a sneaky little bevy that masks the alcohol with lime, mint, and hint of sweetness - you don’t know the alcohol is there until it’s too late. And because you don’t know when it is there, you sort of don’t miss it when it isn’t. If you cannot find mint, put a pin in this one and try it in the summer.

The host of beverages I mentioned depends on which simple syrup(s) you decide to make. Any of the flavored syrups combine simply with club soda to make a delightfully tasty and refreshing nonalcoholic drink. The ginger lime spritzer continues to be my favorite in terms of flavor and simplicity. The recipe calls for a ginger lime simple syrup but you can easily whip up the ginger simple syrup and add fresh lime when you mix the cocktail. It will be delicious. The honey simple syrup is not just diluted honey, and combined with the sugar it adds a flavor dimension that I really love. Flavor it with ginger and you’re well on your way to another of my favorite dry drinks, the Honey Orang Ginger-Ale. Experiment with your own aromatics for a variety of flavor profiles. Rosemary, thyme, basil, cloves are some good options.

I am not sure how long any of these simple syrups will keep in your refrigerator. I have seen the shelf life listed as anywhere from two weeks to six months or longer. I have had no issues with any of these syrups after a month but if you find yours goes untouched after a couple of weeks, then maybe these aren’t for you.

Not to worry, just grab the tonic water and squeeze in some lime for a vodka tonic without the kick. Or mix 1 part cranberry juice with 1 part club soda and a squeeze of lime for a refreshing cranberry spritzer. I like to add a squeeze of fresh mandarin orange for a Cosmopolitan mocktail.

There is a tiny bit of up front effort to make and store your syrup(s) of choice. After that, it’s a cake walk. For more detailed recipes and the reasons I ranked them the way I did, click on the 32 Nonalcoholic Drinks in the recipe link or my blog post below.

Happy New Year and I’ll see you on February 1 with a bottle of red that I am saving.