I work at LaBoheme, a cocktail bar on the weekend.  Not in the bar, I’m the doorman.   The closest I get to making cocktails is making some of the gomme syrups our bar staff use to ply their trade.

So far I’ve made cardamon, rhubarb, saffron, star anise, juniper, basil and apricot. They’re not true gomme syrups as I don’t use gum arabic, so they consist of sugar, water and some aromatic flavours.

Most old cocktail books have recipes that call for gum or “gomme” syrup (or gum syrup; gomme is French for “gum”) you can substitute simple syrup but the traditional gomme syrup has the added ingredient of gum arabic, a natural gum made from the sap of the acacia tree, which prevents the syrup from crystallising, acts as an emulsifier and adds a smoother texture to the cocktail.

gomme syrup:  Dissolve two pounds of loaf sugar and one pound of white gum arabic in one quart of hot water. Boil over the fire for two minutes.

If you don’t have access to loaf sugar, you can try this version.

2 oz Gum Arabic (food-grade) and 2 oz water.  Dissolve Gum Arabic in near-boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.

then 8 oz sugar and 4 oz water.  Combine sugar and water in a pot. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the dissolved gum and continue to boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, let cool, and bottle.

 Simple syrup: A basic sugar-and-water syrup used to make drinks at bars is referred to by several names, including liquid sugar, simple syrup, sugar syrup, simple sugar syrup, gomme, and bar syrup. Simple syrup is made by stirring granulated sugar into hot water until the sugar is dissolved and then cooling the solution. Generally, the ratio of sugar to water can range anywhere from 1:1 to 2:1.

 My recipe for our cardamon gomme

2 packets of cardamon seeds, 500-750 gm caster sugar, boiling water about 500ml and an empty absolute bottle with lid.  Crush cardamom seeds in mortar and  pestle, steep the pods in the water for 1/2 hr add heat to keep simmering,  3/4 fill empty bottle with caster sugar.  Strain the Cardamon water into jug and pour into bottle, fit lid and gently rotate until all sugar is dissolved.