How To Make Smoked Simple Syrup

How To Make Smoked Simple Syrup

Whether you want to pair it with something sweet or savory, smoked simple syrup is a perfect choice. If you are looking for extra flavor, you can add your choice of herbs and spices to kick it up a notch!

Ingredients

• Water
• Sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat your smoker to 180°F.
2. While the smoker heats up, take a large baking pan and combine cold water and granulated sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
3. Give it a quick whisk.
4. When the pellet grill is ready, place the baking dish in the smoker and smoke it for 2 to 2½ hours.
5. Whisk the syrup every 30 minutes so that the sugar gets dissolved and absorbs more of the smoky flavor.
6. When the syrup is done smoking, remove the baking dish from the grill and allow it to cool.
7. Once the syrup reaches room temperature, strain it through a fine mesh sieve to get rid of any ash or smoke residue.
8. Transfer the smoked simple syrup into an airtight container and use it to make delicious cocktails and more!

Notes

• Use cold water to make the syrup as smoke adheres better to it.
• Don’t worry if the sugar isn’t dissolved properly when it goes into the smoker — the heat from the smoker will help it melt and dissolve with the water.
• Switch out the wood pellet or sweetener to create different flavors.

Some of the most popular variations include:

• Ginger Smoked Simple Syrup. Add 1 cup of sliced fresh ginger to the syrup while smoking. Strain before storing.
• Vanilla Smoked Simple Syrup. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to the syrup after it has cooled.
• Mint Smoked Simple Syrup. Add 1 cup of fresh, coarsely chopped mint leaves while smoking. Strain before storing.
• Spiced Smoked Simple Syrup. Add a couple of whole cloves and 2 cinnamon sticks before smoking. Strain before storing.

Other flavor infusers include:

• Basil, rosemary, and sage
• Orange or lemon
• Jalapeno slices

While most people generally prefer using white sugar for making simple syrup (and smoked simple syrup), you can mix it up by trying out different variations:

• Using brown sugar instead of white sugar, for example, will give you what is called dark smoked simple syrup with a deeper, molasses-y flavor. 
• You can also use natural sweeteners such as agave, maple syrup, and honey in place of white sugar. When using honey, use ½ cup for 1 cup of water. Maple syrup can be a little tricky to work with since it can be dominant flavor-wise; still, go ahead and give it a shot.
• If you are looking for a keto-friendly option, we suggest using allulose for a similar consistency to regular simple syrup.

Since simple syrup tends to involve making something sweet (like a cocktail), we recommend going with pecan, maple, cherry, or apple wood pellets:

• Pecan pellets, despite being in the hickory species, give out smoother smoke and a subtle flavor with hints of nuts and vanilla. Perfect for slow cookouts, the longer the syrup is allowed to bathe in pecan smoke, the more noticeable the flavor will be.
• Maple wood pellets are mild with a hint of sweetness and a great option for smoking simple syrup.
• Cherry pellets add a fruity and sweet flavor to the syrup, along with a hint of tartness.
• Apple pellets are similar to cherry pellets with a slightly sweet flavor.

Here are some of our favorite ways to use smoked simple syrup:

• Using it in place of simple syrup to add a smoky twist to your favorite cocktails such as an Old Fashioned or a Mojito.
• Brushing over grilled or oven-roasted meats that are perfect for BBQs.
• Adding to homemade BBQ sauce instead of liquid smoke.

Here’s how you can make a Smoked Margarita using smoked jalapeno simple syrup:

1. Start by making a smoked simple syrup infused with jalapeno slices.
2. Combine the smoked jalapeno simple syrup, tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice in a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake, shake, shake!
4. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of a glass, roll the rim on some kosher salt, and fill the glass with ice.
5. Strain the margarita into the glass and garnish with a lime wedge and jalapeno.
   

Here’s how you can make a Smoked Cosmopolitan Martini using smoked orange simple syrup:

1. Start by making a smoked simple syrup infused with orange rind.
2. Combine the smoked orange simple syrup, vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake, shake, shake!
4. Strain the martini into a martini glass and garnish with orange zest.
   

Here’s how you can make a Smoked Tom Collins using smoked basil simple syrup:

1. Start by making a smoked simple syrup infused with basil leaves.
2. Combine the smoked basil simple syrup, gin, lemon juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake, shake, shake!
4. Fill a tall and narrow glass with ice.
5. Strain the cocktail into the glass, top it with club soda, and garnish with a lemon slice and basil.
   

Here’s how you can make a Smoked Mojito using smoked mint simple syrup:

1. Start by making a smoked simple syrup infused with mint leaves.
2. Combine the smoked mint simple syrup, lime juice, rum, and ice in a cocktail shaker.
3. Shake, shake, shake!
4. Fill a glass with ice and strain the mojito into it. Garnish with mint and a lime wedge.

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