To sweeten a cold drink, you could add a spoonful of sugar—but it won’t dissolve all the way, leaving a pile of sugar grains at the bottom of your glass. The solution? Simple syrup. In simple syrup, the sugar is dissolved in water, so it easily mixes into any drink. It’s called “simple” because the formula is so easy to remember: equal parts water and sugar. You could boil the water and sugar on the stovetop to make simple syrup, but our method is even simpler (and more fun): Give it a good shake!
Vigorously shaking the sugar and water distributes the tiny particles of sugar in the water, which helps them dissolve. It also (slightly) increases the temperature of the mixture, and the warmer the liquid, the more easily the sugar dissolves. Time to shake things up!