The Airport Café Trick To Make Your In-Flight Cocktail Dreams Come True

Airports are notoriously known for having overpriced items, from water bottles to beer. And most of the time, the food and beverages in terminals aren't worth the hefty price tag — even if you're just passing through. According to View from the Wing, the quality of airport restaurants is typically subpar due to the fact that eateries need to have food checked through security and utilize limited storage (among a variety of other reasons).

The food isn't much better when flyers are actually on the plane. Combined with the fact that humans' sense of smell is dulled due to the drier air in the sky, there is a limited selection of food and drink to choose from. Both of these reasons can deter people from enjoying a snack or beverage while flying (via Science ABC). But this one hack, shared by Food & Wine, might be the answer to the problem of ordering a mediocre drink on a flight.

Simple syrup is a staple ingredient in cocktails ranging from vodka mojitos to flavored martinis (via Absolut Drinks). As implied from its name, it is a great, classic mixture that brings sweetness to anything it's added to. Most airlines have basic hard liquor onboard, including vodka and whiskey (via The Points Guy). But what they commonly lack are mixers such as triple sec, which is also a classic in many cocktails.

For these reasons, it might be wise to follow Food & Wine's cocktail hack for DIY simple syrup. All that's needed is roughly half of a cup of hot water and lots of sugar. When combined, these two ingredients will create a mixture that resembles the classic simple syrup in a lot of popular cocktails. For best results, do this at the airport Starbucks so that the syrup is cooled pre-departure. So the next time the flight attendant makes their way down the aisle, try this trick to avoid sipping on a glass of still wine or straight liquor.