Cocktails with Caramel syrup
Caramel syrup is a sweet syrup whose flavor and color come from caramelized sugar.
How it's used
Along with the sugar it brings color and a faint bitter edge that simple syrup lacks. It suits coffee and dark spirits, where that burnt edge meets the roast.
Substitutes for Caramel syrup
Homemade caramel syrup
Boil 200 g of sugar with 120 ml of water, then cook 8–10 minutes more, without stirring, until light amber. Off the heat, carefully whisk in another 120 ml of water, because it will spit.
Butterscotch syrup
Bottled versions are dairy-free and about as sweet as caramel syrup. They work one for one, offering a buttery taste rather than a toasted caramel note.
Swaps in the same amount. It brings a molasses note rather than true caramel, but keeps the sweetness balanced.
Caramel sauce
It coats rather than dissolves, so it will not blend in a shaker. Save it for a blended serve like a milkshake.
Storage
A commercial bottle keeps for months and wants the fridge once open. Homemade lasts a couple of weeks refrigerated and may crystallize, which a gentle warming reverses.
