Making Purées, Syrups and Sorbets

There are a number of syrups, purées and other recipes that may be added to your cocktails. Making them up in advance can save you a great deal of time when it comes to mixing your cocktails on the night.

To Make Sherbets and Sorbets

1. Dissolve 2 cups of sugar in 1 cup of water.
2. Simmer the sugar and water gently in a small saucepan for 2 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup of lemon or orange juice (or other fruit) and cool.
4. Place into a container and freeze until it has a firm ice-cream texture.

To Make Fruit Purées

You can use bananas, strawberries, raspberries and other fruit to make a delicious fruit purée.

1. Wash the fruit thoroughly (as necessary).
2. Mash the fruit up roughly.
3. Pass the mashed fruit through a sieve to remove lumps and as many pips as possible.

To Make Sugar Syrup

To make a simple sugar syrup (syrup de gomme), dissolve equal volumes of sugar and water, simmer gently for 2 minutes and allow to cool. The resulting colourless liquid is ideal for sweetening cocktails.

To Make Sweet and Sour

A simple sweet and sour mix may be made for recipes that contain lemon juice and sugar syrup, such as Tom Collins. Simply blend together 1 egg white, 175 g sugar, 500 ml lemon juice and 500 ml water.

The resulting mixture many be kept in the fridge for up to three days. A sweet and sour mix can be a real time saver if you are making a large amount of cocktails; simply use in place of the lemon and syrup shown in the recipe, using the same total quantity.