A rose isn't the only thing that would be just as sweet by any other name. Today we're learning about two names for the same tasty thing: mugolio and pine cone syrup. Whichever you prefer, pine cone syrup or mugolio, it's an ingredient that'll knock you off your feet and straight into a dream of woodsy, earthy flavor. The most important ingredients you'll need? Curiosity and a heaping jar of patience. Oh, and pine cones.
What Is Mugolio (Pine Cone) Syrup
You know those green, young pinecones you used to gather as a child to make into a play-pretend soup? Too specific? Okay, but you know the green pinecones, the new ones that start to take over the branches in the spring and early summer? The syrup results from mixing those juvenile pinecones with sugar and leaving the pair to ferment in the dark.
What's important is that the pinecones are soft and bendy, so that you can chop them up with a knife and not crumble them.
After a nice scrub and soak, making sure they're free of any insects or debris, and your juvenile pinecones are ready to go. You can sub young evergreen tips if you can't find pinecones. This is also known as spruce tip syrup. Otherwise, you can add a handful of clean evergreen tips just for extra flavor.
Quick Tip
Do not skimp on the cleaning and washing of your ingredients!
Mugolio Pine Cone Syrup Recipe
This syrup takes a bit of patience, but it's well worth the wait.
Ingredients
- 2 cups juvenile pinecones or evergreen tips, roughly chopped or ripped up
- 2 cups brown or turbinado sugar (Tip: Do NOT use white sugar!)
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir together the sugar and thoroughly cleaned, chopped pinecones.
- Add the sugar and pinecones to a jar and pack tightly.
- Loosely screw on the lid, and leave in a cool, dark place.
- Every few days, check on the mugolio syrup. Stir and tightly pack the ingredients.
- After approximately four to six weeks, add the mix to a medium to large saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle, simmering boil. Stirring until the sugar fully dissolves.
- Carefully strain into clean jars.
- Store, sealed, in the refrigerator. Use within a year.
Mugolio & Tonic Cocktail
The woodsy, honey flavor that mugolio pine cone syrup brings to the table will make your jaw drop when you add it to your gin and tonic.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces gin
- ½ ounce pine cone syrup
- Ice
- Tonic water to top off
- Rosemary sprig and lemon slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball or rocks glass, add ice, gin, and pine cone syrup.
- Top off with tonic water.
- Stir briefly to mix.
- Garnish with a lemon slice and rosemary sprig.
Mugolio Martini
Vodka or gin, whatever your poison, makes for an excellent base in this mugolio pine martini. Skip an infused spirit, however, as you don't want too many competing flavors.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces gin OR vodka
- ½ ounce dry vermouth
- ¼ ounce mugolio pine cone syrup
- Ice
- Lemon peel for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Chill a martini or coupe glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, dry vermouth, and pine cone syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with a lemon peel, if desired.
Mugolio Spritzer: Cocktail and Mocktail
This piny, earthy, fizzy, and bubbly highball is dreamy. As in springtime bursts in your mouth on a sunny day dreamy.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces vodka, gin, or bourbon
- ½ ounce pine cone syrup
- Ice
- Club soda to top off
- Lemon slice and fresh berries for garnish
Instructions
- In a highball glass, add ice, vodka, and pine cone syrup.
- Top off with club soda.
- Garnish with a lemon slice and fresh berries.
Helpful Hack
This is the perfect place to experiment with infused spirits, such as strawberry.
Pine Cone Sazerac
Take the sazerac into the forest with a bit of pine cone syrup instead of traditional simple syrup.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce absinthe
- 2 ounces rye whiskey
- 2-3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
- ½ ounce mugolio syrup
- Ice
- Lemon ribbon for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a rocks glass.
- Rinse the chilled glass with absinthe, discarding the rest.
- In a mixing glass, add ice, rye, bitters, and mugolio syrup.
- Stir to chill.
- Strain into the prepared glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a lemon ribbon.
Pine Cone Syrup Old-Fashioned
The sweetness of mugolio syrup with the bite of bourbon? Well, life won't ever quite be the same once you try it.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bourbon
- ½ ounce pine cone syrup
- 3-4 dashes orange bitters
- 1-2 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, combine the bourbon, pine cone syrup, bitters, and ice.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Pining for Mugolio Drinks
Close your eyes, take a sip, and float yourself into a woodsy paradise. It'll take some planning and patience to make up your mugolio syrup, but your work will pay off. Take it from us. You'll want to make a big batch.
