One way to add flair to your cocktails is by giving your glass a decorative rim. Sugar is commonly used but, did you know how easy it is to color the sugar and give your creations a little added drama?

In a clean, dry jar (Kilner jars are ideal) put 1/2 cup granulated white sugar. Add a couple of drops of food coloring (found in your local supermarket), seal the lid and shake vigorously ’til the color is evenly dispersed through the sugar. For darker colors keep adding a drop at a time but don’t use more than six drops or the sugar will become too moist and may clump.

colored sugar

You can mix larger amounts of sugar but I find it can take quite a while to use up even 1/2 cup unless, of course, I’m entertaining.

There are commercial colored/flavored cocktail sugars on the market. But why pay the high price when this is so simple?

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16 Comments

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16 Responses to How To Make Colored Sugar For Rimming

  1. Lucie says:

    Do you have to use a jar to shake it or can you just mix it?

  2. Elizma Claassen says:

    How do I colour sugar gold.

    • Mixnsip Mixnsip says:

      Hmm. I know Wilton used to make a gold spray; that should certainly work. If you want to try mixing regular food dye, red and yellow make orange, so perhaps mixing 1 part red with 2 parts yellow will give a gold color. Or, red and green combined equally will make yellow, so try mixing a little more red than green and you might get the right color. Sorry I’m guessing here, I’ve never tried to create gold.

      • Mixnsip Mixnsip says:

        As someone pointed out (I’ve lost their reply), red and green will make brown when mixing liquids. It’s only additive colors (color with light) that they become yellow.

  3. Cheryl pietersz says:

    How many champagne flutes can I rim with 1/2 cup sugar

    • Mixnsip Mixnsip says:

      Depends how much sugar you want on the rim. A quarter inch depth won’t get as many as just dipping the edge, so I’d say 10 to 20. The trick is, after you’ve dipped the glass, give it a slight tap to knock of any excess sugar.

  4. Monica Powell says:

    I going to do this for fruit cups, what should I use to wet rim.

  5. Becca Thompson says:

    Do you think I could use gel food dye? The kind you get for specialty baking? I wondered if it might be a more intense color without being as liquid.

  6. marge says:

    Do you dip rims in a wet solution before using sugar mixture ?
    I need this answer asap. Thanks
    Happy
    holidays

  7. Ida says:

    HI Elizabeth, can i prepare the sugar a day or 2 in advance or must i use it straight after colouring it?
    Thanks
    Ida

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