Homemade Pumpkin Spice Syrup
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Way better than the bottled stuff.
by Erin
Fall is here, Halloween is upon us, and the pumpkin parade is going strong at TWS HQ!
In the attitude of, “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” I spent the last few weeks tinkering with pumpkin spice cocktails.
Honestly, I've never been down with the PS in the PSL. That bottled stuff grosses me out: overly sweet, artificially flavoured, filled with ingredients I can't pronounce, all so it will stay fresh until 10 days after the sun burns out. I shudder at the idea of drinking that. (Don’t get me started on the sugar-free versions.)
As necessity is the mother of all invention, I whipped up my own. It has been straight fire reviews from everyone who has tried it.
The recipe here makes nearly a litre, and will last a week in the fridge. Nowhere near as long as the commercial brands, mind you, but that's definitely a good thing.
I use this pumpkin spice simple syrup in all kinds of deliciously balanced and fall-inspired cocktails, like the Old Fashioned or a twist on a French 75, but you could also add a splash to your coffee or even top ice cream.
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Pumpkin Spice Simple Syrup
Makes: approx 750 ml
Bartender level: Easy
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks (or 1 tsp cinnamon, or a combination thereof)
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling!)
- Combine water and both sugars in a pot over medium-low heat.
- Stir until sugar dissolves, then reduce heat to low.
- Add cinnamon sticks, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin, and whisk thoroughly (but carefully! The sugar syrup will be hot) to combine.
- Let simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes to allow the syrup to absorb the flavours, stirring every few minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let cool for 10-20 minutes on the stove.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.