Simple Syrup is a ubiquitous ingredient used in almost every cocktail, and the easiest one to make at home. So easy, in fact, that you should almost never go buy simple syrup from the store. Simple syrups can be made quickly, usually with just a couple ingredients. Here are a few staple simple syrup recipes to get you started with your fresh cocktails.
Simple Syrup Recipes
Most of these syrups contain two ingredients: a liquid (usually water), and a sweetener. The combination you choose to use will create unique simple syrups for use in various cocktails.
Classic Simple Syrup Recipe
Most commonly found in classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Lion’s Tail, and Whiskey Sour, classic simple syrup achieves two primary goals: simple sweetness and a little bit of dilution.
Ingredients
- .5 cup water
- .5 white granulated sugar
Instructions
Bring water to a low boil in a small pot. Add in the sugar while stirring to dissolve. Cut the heat off and let cool. Ideally, chill before serving.
You can speed up the chilling process by transferring to a container and setting that in a bowl of ice-water.
Rich Simple Syrup Recipe
You can use rich simple syrup in any cocktail you might use classic simple, but this will be twice as sweet. If comes with a more rich texture, and won’t dilute your drink quite as much. Use a rich simple syrup when you want your drink to be more bold or spirit-forward.
Ingredients
- .5 cup water
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
Instructions
Bring water to a low boil in a small pot. Add in the sugar while stirring to dissolve. You may need to stir longer here to make sure the sugar dissolves completely. Cut the heat off and let cool. Ideally, chill before serving.
Agave Simple Syrup Recipe
Agave Simple uses agave nectar instead of sugar. Typically found in margarita variations like a Tommy’s Margarita or other mezcal cocktails, you can also use Agave Simple in most other classic cocktails where a classic simple is used.
Ingredients
- .5 cup water
- .5 cup agave nectar
Tip: You can use 1:1 weight ratio here if you have a scale for a more balanced Agave Simple Syrup
Instructions
Bring water to a low boil in a small pot. Add in the agave nectar while stirring to dissolve. Once the nectar has dissolved completely, let cool. Again, best to chill before serving.
Demerara Syrup
Demerara sugar is a minimally processed, raw cane sugar that’s a golden-brown color. It typically more course than normal sugar used in other simple syrups. Demerara Simple Syrup is traditionally associated with caribbean cocktails like a Rum Old Fashioned, Mai Tai, or a Jungle Bird.
Ingredients
- .5 cup water
- .5 cup demerara sugar
Tip: You can use 2:1 ratio of sugar to water to make a Rich Demerara Syrup, as well.
Instructions
Bring water to a low boil in a small pot. Add in the demerara sugar while stirring to dissolve. Once dissolved completely, let cool.
Honey Simple Syrup Recipes
Not too dissimilar to the Agave Simple, Honey Simple Syrup uses honey (of course), instead of sugar. A simple 1:1 recipe is all you need for great, vibrant cocktails like the Bee’s Knees, Gold Rush, or Penicillin.
Ingredients
- .5 cup water
- .5 cup raw honey
Tip: You can use 2:1 ratio of sugar to water to make a Rich Demerara Syrup, as well.
Instructions
Bring water to a low boil in a small pot. Stir in the honey until fully dissolved. Once dissolved completely, let cool.
More Ways To Elevate Your Simple Syrup Recipes
The above simple syrup recipes lay a solid foundation for all of your cocktail needs in your home bar. You can make them quickly and have them ready for any event you might host, or even just a quiet night at home.
Once you’re comfortable with this foundation, you can start to play with fun little variations.
Jalapeno Agave Syrup can be made by simmering jalapeno slices in the pot for a few minutes after the nectar has dissolved. You can make Jalapeno Simple Syrup the same way. Strain off the slices/seeds through a mesh sieve or strainer and let it cool.
You can also make a Blackberry Simple Syrup the same way, by simmering some blackberries in the pot with your simple syrup. This will create a beautiful color and add unique flavor for a fresh, crisp cocktail ingredient to use in brambles or daiquiris.
If you simmer some cinnamon sticks in your simple sugar solution, you’ll create a lovely Cinnamon Syrup that’s great for holiday cocktails and Hot Toddies.
This technique is pretty universal: herbs like mint, basil, thyme are great in mojitos, basil smashes, and gin and tonics. Lavender can be used to make a beautiful simple syrup perfect for a French 75.
Maceration Syrups
If you want to try a different approach to your flavored simple syrups, you can use the no-heat method of maceration. Maceration takes longer than the water+sugar approach, but the process is still easy. Just combine fresh ingredients (e.g. berries, citrus, herbs) with sugar. Let sit for a few hours, and the sugar will draw out the natural juices (and flavor!) from your fresh ingredients.
How To Make Maceration Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh fruit (blackberries, raspberries, citrus, etc)
- .5 – .75 cups sugar
- optional: 1-tbsp water, lemon juice, or alcohol (vodka or rum) to aid extraction
Tip: adjust the amount of sugar you use depending on the level of sweetness you’re going for.
Instructions
- Combine the fruit with sugar in a bowl or mason jar
- Gently muddle to start release juices and open up the fruit
- Cover and let sit at room temperature for 6-24 hours. Stir occasionally
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve, pressing gently to extract the syrup
- Store in fridge for up to a week
How To Store Simple Syrup
Once you’ve let the sweetener in your Simple Syrup dissolved, and/or strained any fruit/flavors from your simmering simple syrup solution or maceration, should funnel them into a long-term storage solution. A mason jar may suffice, but they can be hard to pour from. Consider a simple plastic capped bottle or you can get fancy with some affordable glass syrup bottles.
Simple Syrup made without fruit can usually last a couple weeks in the refrigerator without worry, maybe up to a month. Macerated syrups may only last about a week. Rich simples (those with 2:1 sugar-to-water ratio) will keep the longest. Always refrigerate.
You can extend the life of your simple syrup by adding a neutral spirit to the final bottle. Once your simple syrup has cooled, add 1-2 tablespoons of vodka per cup of simple. The alcohol acts as a preservative, slowing down the growth of bacteria and mold. Simple syrups preserved with alcohol will last 3-6 months in the refrigerator.
Tips for Maximum Shelf Life
- Sterilize Containers: Use clean, sterilized glass bottles or jars to store the syrup.
- Cool First: Allow the syrup to cool completely before adding alcohol to avoid evaporation.
- Refrigerate: Always store the syrup in the fridge, even with added alcohol.
- Label and Date: Keep track of when the syrup was made for safety.
Adding alcohol is a simple and effective way to preserve syrups, especially if you’re making specialty syrups or want to have a variety ready for use in cocktails.
Further Improving Your Cocktails
Aside from these simple syrup recipes, there are many other ways to improve your cocktails and have fun in your home bar.
The easiest step is to start playing with ingredient. There are many types of whiskey you can toy with. If you like an Old Fashioned, for instance, take your standard recipe and try with a rye or a higher-proof bourbon. Maybe use rum, instead!
Ditch the angostura! Well, maybe not completely, but there are plenty of other great bitter alternatives that come with lots of flavors and heat. Bitters are the salt of the cocktail world, and draw lots of flavor from your cocktails.
The Best Simple Syrup Recipes
There are lots of great ways to enjoy your cocktails, and these simple syrup recipes are just for starters. Have fun, and love what you love! You can make great drinks with variations of these recipes, so give some different things a try.
