Cocktail Syrups

Lucy Britner looks at how the Mary Poppins effect continues to influence cocktail syrups

Mary Poppins knew a thing or two about cocktails. She might not’ve been explicit about it, but the carpet bag-sporting supernanny made a whole song and dance out of one small ‘fact’: a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. 

Sugar is a key component in cocktails and it has been helping the medicine go down for at least 208 years – most likely a lot longer. 

One of the first definitions of the word ‘cocktail’ appeared in 1806 in a New York publication called The Balance, and Columbian Repository

The editor of the magazine had used the word before to describe a list of losses incurred by the loser in a political election. The following week, a reader asked for a definition and the editor wrote this description – adding in his own little pop at the political system: “Cock tail, then is a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters, it is vulgarly called a bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head. It is said also, to be of great use to a democratic candidate: because, a person having swallowed a glass of it, is ready to swallow any thing else.”

So sugar has a very definite place in cocktail history and down the centuries various entrepreneurs have manipulated, enhanced and evolved sugar syrup to make it relevant to today’s cocktail culture – which is a broad and colourful one. Here we take a look at three major brands and three bars in different countries.  

Colour, flavour and sweetness preference is different all over the world and Giffard international marketing manager Sophie Godefroy says trends for specific cocktails also drive consumption of specific syrup flavours. “The trend for the Hugo cocktail [Prosecco, sparkling water and elderflower syrup] in Germany boosted the sales of the Elderflower syrup,” she says.

“The Cucumber syrup was also very successful this year in central and eastern Europe (including Czech Republic) thanks to the trendy Cucumber Lemonade [gin, cucumber syrup and lemonade].

“Appearance and colour are important in Asia – that is why our syrups with an intense colour are successful.” Giffard has 67 flavours and is set to reveal more during 2014. 

Finest Call is also gearing up for new releases and, from April 2014, a new syrup product brand will be available to mixologists and chefs worldwide.

Building on the Coco Re’al Cream of Coconut brand, the company is set to launch a line-up called Re’al Cocktail Ingredients Fruit Infused Syrups.

These products are “40% or more fruit and juice”, according to Finest Call, and the company is to include popular fruit flavours such as Mango, Strawberry, Peach and Raspberry. Additional flavours will include pure Agave Syrup, Wild Ginger and Pumpkin Spice. 

Both Monin and Giffard are keeping 2014’s new flavours under wraps for now. Bill Hinkebein, vice-president, marketing at American Beverages Marketers, the maker of Finest Call Cocktail Mixes and Coco Re’al Cream of Coconut, believes “not all flavoured syrups are created equal”. And, as you might expect, he holds his own in pretty high regard. 

“There are dozens of family and corporate brands of the old-style flavoured syrups: cane sugar mixed with artificial and/or natural flavourings,” he says.

“Some of these brands offer an astonishing 150 flavours or more. These products have traditionally been used as coffee flavourings or mixed with soda water or tonic to create flavoured sodas. Increasingly, some flavoured syrups are used in making cocktails and long drinks,” he adds, getting into his stride. 

“Finest Call syrups are a step ahead of these traditional flavoured syrups, for the reason of their fruit juice content. Finest Call is one of the few brands that actually uses real and fresh juice in its syrup products.”

Natural and fresh ingredients  are important to many bartenders and, when it comes to the ‘real deal’, we stumble upon the age-old conflict: bartenders want to make their own unique flavours but brands offer consistency – and longer shelf life through pasteurisation.

Giffard’s Godefroy says:  “We create gourmet, natural and authentic syrups that must be as close as possible to homemade syrups.” 

Monin also attempts to stay well and truly in touch with the bartender community through a series of competitions and its Monin Studio, designed for bartenders to come and try the products, opened last November in London. It’s the 54th Monin facility to open worldwide and it also features premium spirits brands, ready and waiting for innovative bartenders.

Syrups behind the bar 

For Kristo Tomingas at the Butterfly Lounge in Tallin, Estonia, branded syrups are a necessity. He says: “In Estonia we are not allowed to use homemade products when mixing drinks in bars so we have only been experimenting for our own pleasure.” 

Tomingas has created a buckthorn, rhubarb and cloudberry syrup though it doesn’t appear in his bar’s cocktails.  “We co-operate with Monin syrups,” he says.  “So we also haven’t seen a big need for making the others ourselves. We use many cocktails made with different syrups as they work well for finding different, new tastes. The most interesting ones that we love to use are maybe fresh cucumber, basil and green tea.”

In France, Julien Escot, bar owner at Papa Doble in Montpellier, says branded syrups win over poorly created home mixes. “I will always prefer an industrial syrup better than a bad homemade one,” he says. 

But for Escot, who we are sure doesn’t sell a bad syrup, homemaking comes when he “can’t find a specific flavour or a level of quality with industrial brands”. His homemade syrups at the moment are rhubarb, spiced liquorice, grapefruit and velvet falernum. 

“I also make a ‘cordial de printemps’ which comprises freshly extracted cucumber juice, coriander, lemongrass and pepper berries,” he says.

When it comes to brands, Escot is used to working with Giffard for classic flavours such as hazelnut, vanilla and gomme. He also like Les Moulins de Valdone for its orgeat syrup and mentions Monin’s flavours. “But no one has the ultimate range. Monin has good flavours, Giffard too, and you can also find bad products with artisanal ranges,” he finishes. 

Across the Channel one London bar may have discovered the best of both worlds. The Steam & Rye near London’s Liverpool Street is a Great Gatsby-esque venue, with top barman Andy Mill behind the stick. Mill was a finalist in Diageo’s 2012 World Class comp. 

James Coston from Monin says: “Andy Mill and his team are doing some really inventive things with Monin syrups. They’re actually combining certain syrups with other ingredients to create entirely new flavours and textures for their cocktail recipes. 

“For example, they mix our Monin Coconut and Caramel syrups with popcorn, then put it through a blender to create caramel popcorn-flavoured syrup.

“They also mix our Monin Caramel syrup with marshmallow extract to create an amazing marshmallow syrup. This sort of experimentation is really exciting, and it’s very encouraging to see our products being used in such a creative way.”

We’ll let Poppins have the last say: “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, in a most delightful way.” Cheers, Mary.