Stirred Art
App of the Day
from the creators of 
murmur
Layered
The two ratios
- Simple syrup, 1:1. Equal amounts of sugar and water. Put both in a bottle and shake until the sugar has dissolved. It needs no heat.
- Rich syrup, 2:1. Twice as much sugar as water. Warm the water first and the sugar dissolves almost at once. Let it cool before you use it.
Which one a recipe means
When a recipe says "simple syrup" and nothing more, use 1:1. If rich syrup is what you have, use less of it and taste, because the same spoonful is sweeter.
Weighing the sugar and the water is more exact than using cups, since a cup of sugar and a cup of water don't weigh the same. Pick one way and keep to it, so your drinks come out the same each time.
How long each keeps
The drinks writer Camper English made four syrups, kept them in the fridge and waited for each to turn cloudy, the first sign of mould.
| Syrup | Kept for |
|---|---|
| 1:1 | one month |
| 1:1 with a tablespoon of vodka | three months |
| 2:1 | six months |
| 2:1 with a tablespoon of vodka | more than six months |
This is one home test, so treat the numbers as a guide. Keep syrup in the fridge in a clean bottle, and throw it out when it turns cloudy.
Where the syrup goes
Simple syrup is in 23 of the 121 recipes on this site.
- Daiquiri: ¾ oz, with 2 oz white rum and 1 oz lime juice.
- Gimlet: ¾ oz, with 2 oz gin and ¾ oz lime juice.
- Tom Collins: ½ oz, with 2 oz gin, 1 oz lemon juice and soda water.
- Old Fashioned: ¼ oz, with 2 oz rye and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
The first three balance the syrup against citrus juice. The sour ratio shows the pattern.
With one bottle and a jar of syrup
Gin, limes and simple syrup make a Gimlet. Rum, limes and simple syrup make a Daiquiri. What one bottle makes has the full list, and Stirred Art shows the same thing for your own shelf.
Sources
- Alcademics (Camper English): Simple syrup, it's good to be rich
- The measures come from the recipes on this site
Read on 11 November 2026.
Updated 11 November 2026.
Questions
What is the ratio for simple syrup?
One part sugar to one part water. Rich simple syrup is two parts sugar to one part water.
Do I need to boil simple syrup?
No. For 1:1 syrup, put the sugar and water in a bottle and shake until the sugar dissolves. For 2:1 syrup, warming the water first dissolves the sugar much faster. Let it cool before you use it.
How long does simple syrup last in the fridge?
In a fridge test by the drinks writer Camper English, 1:1 syrup turned cloudy after one month and 2:1 syrup after six. A tablespoon of vodka stretched the 1:1 syrup to three months. Throw syrup out when it turns cloudy.
How much simple syrup goes in an Old Fashioned?
The Old Fashioned on this site takes ¼ oz simple syrup with 2 oz rye and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters.
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