Orgeat Syrup (Homemade Almond Syrup)

Before you start

Orgeat is an almond syrup: almonds are ground, soaked in water to make a rich almond milk, and that milk is sweetened and lightly perfumed with orange flower water. It gives the Mai Tai its nutty roundness and turns up in the Japanese cocktail, the Army and Navy and plenty of tiki drinks. Store-bought orgeat often tastes mostly of almond extract; homemade has body and a soft, milky texture.

Toasting the almonds lightly is a choice worth making. It deepens the flavor and makes the syrup taste less raw and grassy, though it also tints it beige. Soak time matters more than heat: a two-hour soak in hot water pulls out plenty of flavor without cooking the nuts. Squeeze the almond pulp hard, because every milliliter of that liquid carries both flavor and the fat that gives orgeat its creamy mouthfeel.

Ingredients

• 200 g (about 1¾ cups) blanched sliced or slivered almonds
• 360 ml (1½ cups) hot water — just off the boil
• about 300 g (1½ cups) granulated sugar — match the weight of the almond milk
• ½ tsp orange flower water
• 1 pinch fine salt
• 2-3 drops pure almond extract — optional; it boosts the marzipan note

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, until they smell nutty and only the edges turn pale gold. Let them cool for a few minutes.
2. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until they look like coarse sand. Stop before they turn into paste.
3. Transfer the ground almonds to a bowl, pour the hot water over them, stir, cover, and leave to soak for 2 hours at room temperature.
4. Blend the soaked mixture for 30 seconds to break the nuts down further, then pour it into a nut-milk bag over a bowl. Squeeze firmly until the pulp is dry. Expect about 300 ml of almond milk.
5. Weigh the almond milk in a saucepan and add the same weight of sugar plus the salt. Warm over low heat, stirring, just until the sugar dissolves. Keep it well below a simmer so it does not scorch or separate.
6. Cool to room temperature, then stir in the orange flower water and the almond extract if using. Taste: it should read as sweet almond first, with a faint floral finish.
7. Bottle, label and refrigerate. Shake well every time you use it, because the almond fat rises to the top.

Tips for success

• Spread the leftover almond pulp on a tray and dry it in a low oven for almond meal to use in baking.
• For a whiter, more delicate orgeat, skip the toasting. The flavor will be cleaner and milder.
• A Mai Tai typically uses about 15 ml orgeat. Because homemade is less sweet than many commercial brands, taste before cutting back other sweeteners.

Substitutions

Almonds

Pistachios, macadamias or hazelnuts make delicious orgeat-style syrups with the same method. They change the drink's flavor, so label the bottle.

Orange flower water

Rose water gives a different floral note; use half as much. Or leave it out for a pure almond syrup.

Granulated sugar

Demerara sugar gives a darker, toffee-leaning orgeat that suits aged rum drinks.

Troubleshooting

The syrup separated in the fridge

That is normal for a syrup without stabilizers. Shake it hard before measuring. Do not heat it again to fix it.

It tastes thin and weak

The pulp was not squeezed well or the soak was short. Use a nut-milk bag and wring it until almost no liquid comes out.

It smells sour or tastes fizzy

It has started to spoil. Discard it and make a fresh batch, and use the next one within the storage window.

Storage

Orgeat is perishable because almond milk is. Refrigerate it in a clean bottle and use within about 2 weeks. Discard it if it smells sour, bubbles, or grows mold.

Safety notes

Orgeat is made from tree nuts. Label the bottle clearly and tell guests, since cocktails made with it can trigger reactions in people with tree nut allergies.