We've recently come out hard in favor of the easy iced-coffee upgrade: Simple tweaks like the addition offresh herbsortonic wateror even (whaaaaat)lemonadecan turn a simple cup of cold-brew into a sophisticated coffee cocktail.
But say you don't go in for all that. Say you just want a regular, lightly sweetened cup of coffee—no more and no less. Surely there's no easy hack available to you.
Au contraire, pal: may we introduce you to maple syrup? Insofar as it requires no preparation more elaborate than opening the fridge, it's easier than simple syrup for flavoring iced coffee and iced tea. We'd submit that it's tastier too: maple syrup imparts a nice mellow sweetness, barely perceptible as maple—unlike honey, which can have an intense flavor—but smoother than simple syrup. And healthier—maple syrup's filled with antioxidants as well as nutrients like zinc, calcium, and riboflavin. Just make sure you're getting the pure stuff, and not the corn syrup–laden grocery-store knockoffs.
You know where else maple syrup makes a great substitute for simple syrup?In an old-fashioned.But that's a story for later in the day.
