Sonoma Syrup Co. Classic Simple Syrup

This page is a compilation of all of our helpful hints from the Cocktail Menu as well as the Ultimate Recipes pages.  The items are listed in alphabetical order so it will be easier for you to find what you are looking for.  If you want something else added to the list, please send us an email through the Contact Us page and we will be glad to add it to the hints.

Cheers!

Rimming a glass with almonds...

Dip rim of glass in Starbuck's Coffee Liqueur (or your liqueur of choice) and then gently turn the glass into a plate of finely chopped almonds.

Making your own brandied cherries...

Items that you will need -

6 lbs of dark sweet cherries

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

1-1/2 cups brandy

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Wash and pit the cherries.  Combine the sugar, water and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.  Stir well and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Add the cherries and let simmer for about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in brandy.  When cooled slightly, transfer the cherries (with brandy mixture) into a jar or split between a couple of smaller jars (great gift idea!) and refrigerate for up to 4 weeks.

Chilling a Cocktail Glass...

Fill cocktail glass with fresh ice prior to creating your cocktail.  When your cocktail is completed, discard ice from glass, and pour your cocktail into the chilled glass.  Do not dry your glass!

Cinnamon & Sugar Rim: 

To rim a glass, moisten the rim of the glass with a lemon wedge and dip into a cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Rimming a glass with edible silver or gold...

To rim the cocktail glass, liberally moisten a new cookware sponge.  Twist the rim of the glass upside down on the moistened sponge.  Twist the moistened rim of the glass on a bit of Argento Fino (edible silver) or Oro Fino (edible gold) that has been sprinkled out on a piece of parchment or wax paper.  Tap the bottom of the glass to remove any excess.

Flaming an Orange Peel...

To flame an orange peel, slice a piece of orange peel about ¾ “ wide by 1-1/2” long from a whole orange.  Try to get mostly the peel of the orange and very little pith.  Hold the top and bottom of the peel with your thumb and index finger.  Using a match, hold the peel facing the drink and squeeze it quickly.  This will release the oils from the peel into the flame and then on to the top of the cocktail.

Fresh Sour...

To make fresh sour mix, combine 2 parts lemon juice and 1 part simple syrup.

Making Lemon Spirals...

To make a long lemon spiral…using a paring knife, start at the top and peel the entire lemon like an apple (about ¼ - ½ inch wide).  The paring knife should be kept between the peel and the pith.  Practice makes perfect!

Juicing a Lime...

To get the most juice from a lime, we recommend using a lime squeezer by TAG BAR.  Be sure that your lime is at room temperature, and not too cold.

Muddling...

To muddle fruits is to smash them to extract the juice from them.  We highly recommend the use of the TAG BAR muddler to assist in the ease of muddling fresh fruits and herbs.

Sugar Rim...

To rim a glass, moisten the rim of the glass with a lemon wedge and dip into a bowl of superfine or baker’s sugar