If you can boil water, you can make simple syrup. The staple cocktail sweetener more than earns its name, consisting, simply, of equal-parts granulated sugar and water. From there, the variations are endless. Like your sweetener sweeter? Up the ratio to two to one, sugar to water. Looking to add a little zip to your Paloma or oomph to your Old Fashioned? Steep a couple of jalapeño slices or cinnamon sticks.

The best part? Your homemade simple syrup, once sealed and refrigerated, can live a happy, productive life for up to a month. That’s 30 days shaking, stirring, blending and drinking your own homemade cocktails. Now doesn’t that sound sweet?