Ingredients

   
25g coffee beans
175g hot water (205°F)
125g white sugar

Steps

  1. Brew a strong concentrate. AeroPress: 25g coffee to 175g water, steep 1:30, press. You’ll collect about 125g of liquid — grounds absorb the rest.

  2. While the coffee is still hot, add sugar. Stir until fully dissolved, about 1 minute.

  3. Let cool. Transfer to a jar or bottle. Refrigerate. Yields about 250g.

Notes

  • The effective brew ratio is about 1:4.7 after grounds absorb water. This is strong enough that the coffee flavor holds up after sugar and mixing into drinks.
  • This is a 1:1 coffee-to-sugar ratio by weight (of the liquid you actually collect). For a thicker syrup (ice cream, drizzling), use 2:1 sugar to coffee or simmer the 1:1 version for 20–30 minutes until reduced by half.
  • White sugar keeps the coffee flavor cleanest. Brown sugar adds toffee notes. Demerara works well with darker roasts.
  • Good use for stale beans. The sugar and concentration mask flat or papery notes that show up in a regular brew.
  • Keeps 2–3 weeks refrigerated in a sealed container.
  • Use 15–30g in a coffee manhattan or espresso martini in place of simple syrup. Start with 15g and adjust.
  • Stir 30g into 240g cold milk for Rhode Island coffee milk.
  • To scale: for every 100g water, use 15g coffee. Weigh the output and match sugar 1:1 to the liquid you collect.