How to make mint syrup for cocktails, a simple syrup infused with fresh mint leaves.
Mint Syrup – Photo © Cocktails & Bars
Unlike other herb-flavoured spirits, making mint syrup involves a little preparation. Most flavoured syrups require steeping the herbs in hot simple syrup but when it comes to mint, it has the effect of turning the leaves into an unattractive brown colour. To maintain the mint’s bright green hue, you can use the Jeffrey Morgenthaler method which he details in his book, The Bar Book: Elements of Cocktail Technique.
His technique involves blanching the mint to retain the brightness of colour. Hold the stem ends of the mint sprigs, blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and submerge them in an ice bath for one minute. Pat dry the mint, pick the leaves then blend in a high speed blender with simple syrup for 1 minute. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and store in a lidded glass bottle.
An alternative method is to blanch the mint sprigs then add the picked mint to simple syrup and leave to infuse as detailed below.
Mint Simple Syrup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 sprigs of fresh mint
Method
Hold the stem ends of the mint sprigs, blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and submerge in an ice bath for one minute then pick the leaves.
In a small pan, bring the water and sugar to a simmer stirring until all the sugar is dissolve. Remove from heat and add the mint leaves ensuring they’re submerged. Cover and leave to cool completely. Strain the mint syrup into a swing top glass bottle and store in the fridge.
Use in cocktails such as the Mojito and Julep
You may also like: Lemongrass Syrup, Lavender Syrup, Rosemary Syrup, Basil Syrup, Thyme Syrup, Fennel Syrup, Sage Syrup, Tarragon Syrup
Photo by Cocktails & Bars – © Copyright: All rights reserved.
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