Ask a bartender their favorite cocktail and there’s a good chance you’ll get this answer: a gimlet, or a daiquiri. What do these classic cocktails have in common? They both clock in at three easy-peasy ingredients. Oh, and one of those ingredients is simple syrup.

Simple syrup, a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water that acts as the default sweetener for your cocktails, lends necessary balance. The sweetness offsets sour citrus and mellows sharp spirits. But by spiking your sugar, you can transform your syrup into a powerful flavor vehicle, bringing out subtle flavors and amping up stronger ones. Because, well, we like simple cocktails, but complicated simple.

Spicy

Spice up your simple with red pepper flakes, or swap in Sichuan peppercorns to tingle your taste buds.

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
1 tbsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Heat on the stove and stir until sugar is dissolved, then cover and let sit for two hours. Strain to remove red pepper and store in the fridge.

Recommended pairing:
AMASS Cucumber Gimlet

2 oz Cucumber-Infused AMASS Dry Gin*
1 oz Lime Juice
0.75 oz Spicy Simple Syrup
Lime Wheel, for garnish (optional)

Cut up one medium cucumber, place in a large pitcher, pour in a bottle of AMASS Dry Gin, and stir. Let sit for one hour and remove the cucumber. Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice and strain into a coupe.

Herbal

Complement the herbaceous quality of our Dry Gin with a couple sprigs of rosemary.

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
2 Rosemary Sprigs

Heat on the stove and stir until sugar is dissolved, then cover and let sit for two hours. Remove rosemary sprigs and store in the fridge.

Recommended pairing:
AMASS French 75

Quick shake with ice and strain into a champagne flute. Top with sparkling wine.

Sour

Let the sour notes of our spirits sing with a kiss of hibiscus.

1 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
0.5 cup Dried Hibiscus Flowers

Heat on the stove and stir until sugar is dissolved, then allow the flowers to steep for an additional five minutes. Strain to remove petals and store in the fridge.

Recommended pairing:
Hibiscus Tom Collins

2 oz AMASS Dry Gin
0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
0.75 oz Hibiscus Simple Syrup
3 oz Club Soda
Lemon Wheel, for garnish

Do a quick shake with a couple ice cubes or just put all ingredients directly into a Collins glass, add soda and ice. Garnish with a lemon wheel.