donut, a yeast donut and a “dossant” — their
version of the infamous “cronut.” They’ll
then offer an additional six to seven speciality
anything from fruit-inspired takes like banana
like Snickers, M&M and Reese’s Cup.
And fall fanatics, have no fear: the shop is
already perfecting their pumpkin spice and
apple cider doughnuts for the season.
But, it isn’t all as simple as sugar and
water. Legge says his favorite part about
making donuts is that, because of the
yeast, it’s a “live thing.” “You’re dealing
with another entity,” he said. “It’s not like
any other food.
“It’s nerve-wracking to make doughnuts
from scratch — you have to be one with the
36 SEPTEMBER 2 0 1 8
flavors that day — which could include
cinnamon, chocolate cherry or strawberry
shortcake, to candy-centered flavors
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dough and you have all of these millions of
yeast. It’s very complex and scientific … it’s
way more than just a doughnut and sugar
… it’s way more than just sugar and water.”
The team wanted to keep the community
involved in this process, so you’ll often
find Legge right behind the counter,
feeding doughnuts through their Donut
Robot® nicknamed “Doughlores” and explaining
the process to customers in his
friendly Scottish brogue and upbeat manner.
Or perhaps behind the cake display
case in his kitchen, testing the best types
of vanilla, making custom salt blends or
soaking cacao nibs in Macallan, which
he’ll roast later for a new doughnut flavor.
“Most doughnut places hide this process
— we want to show it,” he said.
The shop, right next to The Bonnie and
near the Ditmars subway stop, is bright and
cheery. A signature teal blue covers the interior,
along with bursts of bright yellow taken
from their buzzing bee logo, which Asprou
said was chosen since bees are attracted to
sugar and water. The name of the business
itself comes from the belief held by all team
members that “all things sweet in life derive
from Sugar & Water.”
FOOD + DRINK
Photos via Instagram-@sugarandwaternyc