Would Jerry Thomas have used sugar syrup?

[ThinkingBartender]

After perusing JERRY THOMAS' BARTENDER'S GUIDE it seems to me that he always made sure his sugar was dissolved before using it in a mixed drink.

Does this mean he would have been alright with using sugar syrup?

A lot of people seem to be against using syrups, instead preferring to use "straight" sugar, but I can see no reason why. If you measure your syrup properly when you add it to a drink, then it will not be overly sweet.

Drinks which contain syrup are not by default syrupy, in the same way that a drink which contains "straight" sugar should not be sugary. To continue, a drink that contains sour ingredients (lemon, lime, grapefruit, passionfruit) does not need to be sour.

I like the way that Thomas says "Take 1 large tea-spoonful of white sugar dissolved in a little Seltzer or Apollinaris water." I can then add the equivalent amount of sugar syrup to a mixed drink regardless of the actual volume. It is alot more useful than stating 30ml of sugar syrup, as this doesn't take into account the sweetness of the syrup being used. Thick Syrup versus Weak Syrup.

Cheers!

George

Edited January 25, 2006 by ThinkingBartender (log)

[lostmyshape]

i don't know what thomas might have thought about it, but what's the big deal. water is going in anyway, so why not dissolve your sugar ahead of time to ensure it's not grainy in the drink?

i mean, is there really any difference between a drink that contains sugar and one that contains simple syrup with the same amount of sugar?

[eje]

I'm pretty sure I recall reading recipes in Thomas' guide that call for "Rock Candy Syrup" or something similar.

[M.X.Hassett]

I'm pretty sure I recall reading recipes in Thomas' guide that call for "Rock Candy Syrup" or something similar.

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Yep in the Rock and Rye

[slkinsey]

Many of the cocktails call for gum syrup.

[Alchemist]

I'm sitting at the NYPL with an original copy of Jerry Thomas' MANUAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORDIALS, LIQUORS, FANCY SYRUPS, &C, &C. It's also called THE BON-VIVANTS COMPANION. (Was Charles Baker giving Thomas a nod with his Gentelmans Companion?) He seemed to make the simple syrup a la minute(SP) by using regular sugar and then water or hot water. It seems like half dozen of one, six of another to me.

[ThinkingBartender]

I'm sitting at the NYPL with an original copy of Jerry Thomas' MANUAL FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CORDIALS, LIQUORS, FANCY SYRUPS, &C, &C.  It's also called THE BON-VIVANTS COMPANION.  (Was Charles Baker giving Thomas a nod with his Gentelmans Companion?)  He seemed to make the simple syrup a la minute(SP) by using regular sugar and then water or hot water.  It seems like half dozen of one, six of another to me.

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I wonder if this was to save time or to appease the fickle customers that bartenders have to deal with. Basically make syrup in front of them otherwise they screw up their faces at the sight of a bottle of pre-made syrup.

When working at One Aldwych, London I was subjected to a look of scorn when I used sugar syrup in an Irish Coffee. If I dissolved "regular" sugar in boiling water before adding coffee and whisky, where would the difference reside? in the lost mystique perhaps?

Cheers!

George