FLORIDA’S BIG “SWEET” SECRET

Inside the recipes our bar programs come back to again and again

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At BootlegGreg Cocktail Co. we build cocktail programs across Florida, the wider United States, and beyond - and there is one ingredient we reach for more than any other - SUGAR

Specifically, Florida Crystals and Domino Sugar products. Sugarcane is Florida’s biggest field crop and the state’s No. 2 agricultural commodity - yet, it is always talked about as a kitchen ingredient, never a bar one.

Behind the bar, sugar isn’t just sweetness. It’s texture, balance, and the thing that carries every other flavor in the glass. Here are three recipes we come back to time and time again - house staples that any bar or restaurant can build a proprietary program around. LET’S GO.

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Pour 01.

SIMPLE SYRUP

Clean, neutral sweetness that doesn’t get in the way

32 oz. DOMINO PREMIUM PURE CANE GRANULATED SUGAR

32 oz. ROOM TEMPERATURE WATER

Stir, don’t boil, until fully dissolved. Boiling drives off aromatics and can dull the finish. A room temperature stir keeps it CRISP.

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POUR 02.

PROPRIETARY SOUR MIX

Our house base for whiskey sours, margaritas, and anything bright

154 oz. SIMPLE SYRUP (recipe above)

154 oz. LEMON JUICE

77 oz. LIME JUICE

38 oz. ORANGE JUICE

1.3 oz. CITRIC ACID

8.7 oz. MALIC ACID

8.6 oz. 20% SALINE SOLUTION

The citric acid & malic acid blend rounds out the acidity, and the saline solution ties the whole mix together. The kind of small, technical touch that separates a mundane sour from an UNFORGETTABLE SOUR.

Makes a 12 quart batch

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POUR 03.

TURBINADO CINNAMON OLD FASHIONED SYRUP

Rich and spiced, built for old fashioneds and warmth

23 oz. WATER (brought to a boil then removed from the heat)

47 oz. FLORIDA CRYSTALS RAW TURBINADO SUGAR

2 CINNAMON STICKS

Pour the hot water over the sugar, off of the heat, and stir until fully dissolved. Steep with the cinnamon sticks until the favor is to your liking. Bottle it and ENJOY.

Makes about 1 Liter

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Recipes like these aren’t just cocktails - they’re systems. Dialing in a house syrup program is exactly the kind of behind the scenes work that makes a bar more consistent, more efficient, and more profitable. ‍

-  IT’S WHAT WE DO AT BOOTLEGGREG COCKTAIL CO.  -