All you need to make it are fresh Mangoes, granulated sugar, water, and a bit of vanilla. And the best part is that this simple Mango syrup is super versatile. Besides cocktails, you can also use them for desserts, pancakes, or non-alcoholic beverages like tropical soda.

Homemade Mango simple syrup with fresh mangoes

Mango Simple Syrup Recipe

A sweet tropical syrup made from fresh mangoes, sugar, and water.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Shaking time20 minutes
Cool down: 1 hour
Course: Syrup
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Mango, sugar, water

Ingredients

  • 2 large Mangos - (total approx 190g to 200g)
  • 200 g White granulated sugar
  • 180 ml Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Peel the mango. Then cut it into small chunks and add them to a saucepan with sugar.
  • Extract as much juice as possible from the peel leftovers and the mango pit and add it to the saucepan.
  • Add water and slowly increase the heat while stirring the mixture.
  • Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Strain the syrup for the first time and heat the strained syrup for another 5 minutes after adding the vanilla extract.
  • Set the syrup aside to cool down, then fine-strain the mixture. Stir a shot of Vodka into the syrup before bottling it.
  • Store in the fridge and use it up within four weeks.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More About The Ingredients

Here's all you need to make a beautiful mango simple syrup for cocktails, including some details and recommendations:

Pro Tips

If you're new to making fruit syrups, here are a few things to keep in mind:

How to Use Our Mango Simple Syrip

This homemade mango syrup is versatile and can be used in desserts, pancakes, sodas, or low-ABV drinks. Yet, our preferred way to use it is in cocktails. It goes perfectly in Rum and Vodka cocktails or when paired with Gin.

Here are a few drink recipes to make with mango simple syrup:

Variations

Why is Homemade Mange Syrup Better?

The taste of homemade mango syrup is natural and full of fruity flavors without any additives. Even quality store-bought syrups like the ones from Monin or Giffards often use large amounts of sugar and chemicals to help make the sweetener shelf-stable. That is why we usually recommend making fruity syrups at home.

For this mango syrup, we're using fresh mangoes. This way, you can check the quality of the fruits thoroughly. -If you can't get them fresh and ripe, frozen mango chunks work too.

Related Recipes

If you like fruity syrups in your cocktails, try some more others of our favourites:

FAQ's

Homemade cinnamon syrup is an excellent sweetener for drinks and desserts. You can add it to your morning coffee, to cocktails, or drizzle it over some freshly made pancakes. Making your own is affordable and easy to do. All you need is water, sugar, and some fragrant cinnamon sticks.

So let's see how you can make a DIY cinnamon syrup, which cinnamon to use, and which type of sugar works best.

Cinnamon simple syrup in bottle

Cinnamon Syrup Recipe

A rich and flavorful cinnamon syrup, perfect for cocktails.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Shaking time10 minutes
Infusing: 6 hours
Course: Syrup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cinnamon
Calories: 89kcal
Cost: $3.80

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Water
  • â…” cup White sugar
  • â…“ cup Demerara sugar
  • 5 Cinnamon sticks
  • ½ tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Add the water and sugar into a saucepan and gently heat up the mix while stirring.
    1 cup Water, â…” cup White sugar, â…“ cup Demerara sugar
  • Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  • Add cinnamon sticks to the saucepan and reduce the heat.
    5 Cinnamon sticks
  • Cover the saucepan and let the mix simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Then remove the saucepan from the heat, cover the syrup, and let it cool down.
  • Ideally, let the mix infuse for 6 hours or even more. If you're in a rush, you can make it one hour only. But that's the absolute minimum. And be aware that the longer you let the cinnamon infuse, the better the results will be.
  • Finally, remove cinnamon sticks and stir in the vanilla extract before bottling.
    ½ tsp Vanilla extract
  • For that extra kick of cinnamon, add one or two cinnamon sticks to your syrup bottle.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ozCalories: 89kcalCarbohydrates: 15gSodium: 1.54mgPotassium: 20.38mgSugar: 15gCalcium: 10.56mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Which Type of Cinnamon to Use & Why?

First of all, use cinnamon sticks, not powder. -Ground cinnamon won't dissolve nicely and leaves you with a grainy texture, which we don't want in our cocktails.

Further, there are different types of cinnamon, and the two most common ones are Cassia and Ceylon, and Cassia cinnamon sticks are what we like to use for our syrup.

Cassia cinnamon originally comes from China. Some closely related varieties are sold under the names Indonesian Korentje or Vietnamese Saigon. This type is relatively inexpensive and has a deep and spicy taste. It's the most common type in the US, and most likely, this is the taste you associate with cinnamon.

The other option is Ceylon cinnamon from Sri Lanka. It's also known as Mexican cinnamon or true cinnamon. This name suggests that this would be the only "real" cinnamon. However, don't worry, both types (Ceylon and Cassia) are genuine.

The taste of Ceylon is more subtle and mellow, with floral hints and citrusy notes. It's also more expensive than Cassia and generally considered higher quality.

However, when used in cinnamon syrup, Ceylon will break down too quickly, and the taste is not intense and spicy enough. Hence, most cinnamon simple syrup is made with Cassia, and so is ours.

Best sugar for Homemade Cinnamon Syrup

I recommend a combination of regular white sugar and Demerara. Use one part Demerara sugar to two parts white sugar to get a rich yet balanced sweetness in this cinnamon syrup for cocktails.

Homemade syrups are often made with white granulated sugar. This standard type of sugar is widely available, affordable, and works great most of the time. Yet, you probably know that there are other types of sugar that can add more flavor and depth to syrups:

Turbinado or Demerara sugar is rich in flavor due to molasses. However, these two sugars are so flavorful that using only those for your cinnamon syrup would overpower the delicate cinnamon taste.

Why Make Your Own Cinnamon Syrup?

So why should you make a homemade version of something you can easily buy in stores? Well, first of all, making cinnamon syrup is much cheaper than buying it in-store.

On top, the result tastes better than store-bought versions and doesn't contain preservatives or other additives. Plus, you can tweak the recipe, use different sugars, and add more cinnamon flavor to get exactly what you want.

Yes, a DIY cinnamon syrup does require a little effort. Not overly much, but you will need about 30 minutes to an hour to make this cinnamon-infused syrup. In turn, you get something that's much better than the bottles from the supermarket.

Ways to Tweak the Recipe

The recipe for this syrup is quite simple and only asks for a few ingredients. We like a bit of vanilla extract with it, but you could also leave it out for a more cinnamon-forward taste.

Another way to tweak the recipe is by charring the cinnamon sticks slightly. This gets you a distinctly smoky and very flavorful cinnamon syrup.

Also, our recipe uses the standard 1:1 approach of water to sugar. If you want a richer syrup, alter the ratio to two parts sugar per one part of water. The result will be sweeter and add more viscosity to your drinks.

Finally, when bottling the syrup, you can add one or two cinnamon sticks to the syrup. That creates an extra kick of cinnamon and is a highly recommended way to get even more flavor into your sweetener.

More Homemade Syrups

FAQs

Our homemade lavender syrup is a great way to add a floral touch to mixed drinks. It's an easy-to-make, inexpensive, fragrant syrup you can incorporate into many recipes.

You can create flowery twists on recipes, like, for instance, a Lavender Lemon Drop Martini or Lavender Collins. Or you can add the syrup with a bit of fresh lemon juice to soda water for a refreshing lavender lemonade.

However, getting the purple color into lavender syrup is not as straightforward as you might think. Naturally, most DIY lavender syrups will turn from beige to amber-golden in color. We show you how to make the color more appealing.

Lavender simple syrup

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe

A beautifully floral syrup to add a flowery touch to cocktails.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Shaking time10 minutes
Resting: 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Syrup
Cuisine: French
Keyword: lavender, syrup
Cost: $3.60

Ingredients

  • 1 cups Sugar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 4 tbsp Fresh or dried lavender buds
  • 1.5 oz Vodka - (optional)
  • Red (2 drops) & blue (1 drop) food coloring - (optional)

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients into a saucepan and slowly bring the mixture to a boil while stirring occasionally.
  • Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat and gently simmer the syrup until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool down to room temperature. Optionally, you can add a shot of Vodka at this point to lengthen shelf life.
  • Finally, strain the syrup with the help of a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth and a bottle.
  • Store it in the fridge until using it for refreshing lavender cocktails.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Making lavender simple syrup

This homemade lavender syrup is easy to make. Just like regular simple (sugar) syrup, you'll need an equal amount of sugar and water. The complete list of ingredients is not too long:

Storing it in an airtight container inside your fridge will keep it fresh for a long time. That gives you plenty of time to make some delicious lavender syrup cocktails or lemonades.

Lavender buds for simple syrup

Best lavender for Your Syrup

The key to great lavender syrup is using the right ingredients. That is valid for flower syrup more than anything, as you want to avoid buds treated with pesticides.

The best way to ensure you're using untreated, organic flowers is to grow them in your own garden. It gives you control of the plants and the certainty that they are safe to use.

If that's not an option, buy organic and food-safe lavender buds. Just watch out for a note on the label.

Don't use French Lavender

Don't use French lavender (Lavandula dentata) because it contains a high amount of camphor which can be toxic in large doses.

All lavender plants and products do contain camphor. However, English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is better for cooking and making syrup as it contains significantly less.

Lavandula angustifolia is the right choice for cooking, while Lavandula intermedia is best for medical use. It's said to help with sinus problems and even is said to help with snoring.

How to Make Purple Lavender Syrup

Add food coloring to the syrup for the perfect shade of purple. The addition of two drops of red and one drop of blue will get you a purple-colored syrup that looks pretty similar to lavender flowers.

Don't use purple food gels or colorings as they tend to create a darker, almost black color that isn't close to the paler shades of lavender.

Why is it not naturally purple? When thinking of lavender flowers and syrup, you'll instantly have a purple image in your head. Yet, that only applies to the flowers, not the syrup.

Most lavender simple syrups are naturally golden brown to amber, depending on the buds and steeping time. The color can also depend on how fresh the buds are, but their color cannot be extracted from them regardless of how fresh they are. -That's the case for many flowers, by the way.

If you let the buds steep for an extended time, the syrup will develop a more intense color, but not an elegant violet. On the contrary. In the end, you might not even achieve the shade of purple you had in mind by using food coloring.

Variations of Lavender Simple Syrup

My favorite variation of homemade lavender syrup is a combination with rosemary. Rosemary and lavender are a perfect match, and you easily substitute that for plain lavender syrup. The taste will be more complex and herbal without altering the general theme of the drink.

And lavender goes perfectly with a variety of other ingredients too:

Another way to tweak the recipe is by changing the sweetening component. You can experiment with a different type of sugar like palm sugar or demerara, or you could use honey instead.

For example, when using 1 cup of honey and half a cup of regular sugar, the final syrup tastes more fragrant and floral. This twist is fantastic with dark and aged spirits like Rum or Whiskey.

More Homemade Syrups for Cocktails

Gomme syrup once had been a common ingredient in classic cocktails. But, along with many other once-popular cocktail ingredients and recipes, it vanished because of prohibition. 

When prohibition ended, shortly before WWII, Gomme syrup came back in a way. However, the key ingredient, gum arabic, was hard to get and expensive. 

As a consequence, what was then called Gomme syrup, often didn't include gum arabic at all. No wonder the syrup didn't get far with its vital element missing. Simple syrup took its place instead.

While simple syrup still is the #1 sweetener in today's cocktail recipes, the rising demand for craft cocktails and the increasing interest in mixology also brought back Gomme syrup. 

You can find it again on shelves in the supermarket, on bar menus, and you can also make this versatile cocktail ingredient at home.

What is Gomme Syrup?

Gomme syrup goes by many names. You might know it as Gum Syrup, Gum Arabic, Indian Gum, Gum Acacia, the list goes on... and some might not know it at all.

It's an ingredient that can be used as a sweetener in drinks and in food. However, that's not the only feature. 

Homemade Gomme Syrup

Gomme syrup functions as a thickening agent and as an emulsifier. It also keeps the sugar from crystalizing and creates a beautifully smooth and silky texture. 

Most of the terms mentioned above are not only names for the syrup but also refer to the star of the mixture: the gum from the acacia trees.

What is Gum Arabic?

Gomme is the French word for gum and simply refers to the natural gum that forms when the sap of certain species of acacia trees dries.

It came to Europe and the rest of the Western world via Arabia. -Hence the French name Gomme Arabic.

Gum arabic has an amber color, and more than 80% of the worldwide resources come from Sudan.

It has a neutral flavorless taste, is soluble in water, and is edible - also in its natural form.

Gum Arabic

Besides being an amazing, 100% natural stabilizer, the gum from the acacia tree also has a list of health benefits. 

It improves calcium absorption, decreases cholesterol, supports the kidney and the liver, and improves probiotic and antioxidant activities.

A true jack of all trades, this golden-colored gum. Hard to believe it's still relatively seldom used in modern mixology.

Ingredients for homemade Gomme Syrup

Gomme syrup is basically a richer version of simple syrup with all the extra benefits the acacia sap provides.

Meaning, like for regular simple syrup, you need water and sugar. Caster sugar works just fine. 

The ratio for homemade Gomme syrup is often slightly different from simple syrup, though. Where you usually go with equal amounts of sugar and water, you now add a little more sugar.

And, of course, you need gum arabic. It usually is available in nuggets and in powder. I recommend powder because it's easier to mix that with the sugar and the water. 

Check that the label says 100% food-grade, as gum arabic also is used for photography, painting, pyrotechnics, and a lot of other stuff.

Gomme Syrup in Cocktails

Gomme syrup gives your drink a smoother mouthfeel, brings sweetness, and helps blend all ingredients together.

It also softens the alcoholic bite you get from boozy cocktails. A prominent example of this is the Pisco Punch which people used to drink like it was lemonade in the late 1800s.

You can basically use it as a substitute in all cocktails calling for simple syrup. Usually, because a Gomme syrup recipe contains more sugar, you have to reduce the amount accordingly.

Homemade Gomme Syrup

Homemade Gomme Syrup

A sweetener that also improves the mouthfeel of your mixed drinks.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Shaking time15 minutes
Resting Time: 1 day
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gum arabic, syrup
Servings: 45 servings
Calories: 17kcal
Cost: $7

Equipment

  • 1 saucepan
  • 1 whisker
  • 1 sealable container
  • 1 Jigger

Ingredients

  • 10 oz sugar
  • 7 oz water
  • 3 oz gum arabic powder - food grade

Instructions

  • Whisk the gum arabic powder into 3 oz of water.
  • Let this mixture sit for about 24h until the gum is fully dissolved. If it's not there after 24h, wait a few hours more.
  • Once the gum has soaked up all the water, add the remaining water and the sugar into a saucepan.
  • Heat up the mixture while stirring until the sugar is dissolved -no need to boil the mixture.
  • Now, without reducing the heat, add the gum-water-mix into your sugar syrup and fold it under until you have a smooth and nicely blended mix.
  • Let your Gomme syrup cool down before bottling it and storing it in the fridge. - It's good for at least five months.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25ozCalories: 17kcalCarbohydrates: 5gSodium: 0.05mgPotassium: 0.1mgSugar: 5gCalcium: 0.05mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

The process of making this delicious syrup from charred pineapple slices is to grill pineapple on a BBQ and then marinate the pineapple in sugar for a few hours before starting to produce the actual syrup.

Pineapple is a fantastic ingredient in cocktails. No matter if you use chunks, juice, or charred pineapple syrup. It's often used in Tiki cocktails in combination with rum. But you can also see it in countless other cocktail recipes.

Grilled pineapple slices used for making syrup

Grilled Pineapple syrup recipe

A charry and tropical syrup. -Perfect in Rum cocktails and tiki drinks.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Maceration: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 30 minutes
Course: Syrup
Cuisine: Caribbean
Keyword: pineapple, syrup

Ingredients

  • 1½ cups Grilled Pineapple Chunks
  • ½ cup Unbleached cane sugar or brown sugar
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 tbsp Vodka (optional)

Instructions

  • Put the grilled pineapple chunks into a saucepan and coat them thoroughly with cane sugar.
  • Let the mix sit for 6-7 hours at least.
  • Then add salt before carefully heating up the mix and bringing it to a simmer - remember: don't boil it.
  • Once the sugar is fully dissolved, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool down.
  • Add the Vodka and stir the mix once again. Then strain the syrup into a bottle and store it in the fridge.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Steps to make grilled pineapple syrup

The recipe for grilled pineapple simple syrup is easy, yet it takes some time. The main reason is that the maceration process in the recipe, which is required to extract flavors, juices, and oils of the fruit needs a few hours to work its magic.

Apart from fresh pineapple, you also need vodka, cane sugar, and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.

So, here are the steps for making grilled pineapple syrup:

  1. First, we need to prepare our ripe pineapple and strip and core it.
  2. Then slice the pineapple into patties, one pineapple slice should be about 3/4 of an inch thick (approx. 2 cm).
  3. Grilling pineapple rings or slices is an essential step to make this smoky syrup. Grill or char the pineapple patties on a barbecue, woodfire, or grill pan until they're golden and lightly smoky and you see these amazing grill marks.
  4. Cut pineapple patties into chunks and put them into a saucepan. Then coat the pineapple chunks thoroughly with cane sugar and let the mix sit for 6 to 7 hours. -For maximum flavor, let them sit for 24 hours.
  5. When returning to your coated and grilled pineapple chunks, you should see a puddle or pool of syrup building in the bottom.
  6. Add the salt and Vodka to the mix and heat the saucepan to a simmer (don't boil it!). Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
  7. Finally, strain through a cheesecloth and let the syrup cool down.
  8. Store the syrup in the fridge until you need it.

The consistency of the resulting syrup is similar to simple syrup. And the taste will be gorgeous and perfectly balanced.

Grilled pineapple syrup in cocktails

As mentioned, the tropical pineapple flavor works particularly well with dark and aged spirits. That also applies to grilled pineapple syrup.

It's best used in riffs on classic rum cocktails, for example, in a Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri, pineapple Margarita, or a roasted pineapple Old Fashioned. 

Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri

Grilled Pineapple Daiquiri cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Aged Rum
  • 0.5 oz Overproof Jamaican Rum
  • 0.75 oz Grilled Pineapple Syrup
  • 1 oz Lime Juice
  • Splash of Pineapple Juice

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until cold. Then strain into a chilled Coupe glass and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Roasted Pineapple Old Fashioned cocktail

Roasted pineapple Old Fashioned drink

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass, fill it with ice, and stir for 15 to 18 seconds. Strain the drink over a large ice cube into a Double Old Fashioned glass and garnish it with roasted pineapple pieces on a cocktail pick.

Pineapple Margarita

Grilled pineapple Margarita

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 oz Tequila blanco
  • 0.5 oz Triple Sec like Cointreau
  • 0.75 oz Grilled pineapple syrup
  • 0.5 oz Fresh lime
  • Chili powder and Tajin for spiced rim

Instructions:

For the spiced rim, mix chili powder and Tan spice mix on a small plate. Add tequila, Cointreau, charred pineapple syrup, and lime juice into an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Shake until chilled, then strain over fresh ice into rimmed glass.

Non-Drink use

Grilled pineapple dessert dusted with cinnamon

Our roasted pineapple simple syrup is a delicious ingredient in sweet treats and desserts. For example, use it to add a tropical flavor to vanilla ice cream. You can also use it to drizzle it over pancakes or waffles instead of maple syrup. 

Grilled pineapple makes delicious desserts. To make this, cut the pineapple into wedges after grilling. Dust the wedges with cinnamon and serve with whipped cream and drizzle some of our charred pineapple syrup over it.

Zero waste

These days "Zero waste" is one of the biggest topics in bar culture. The goal is to use every part of the ingredients in various recipes to reduce waste to zero.

This charred pineapple syrup recipe is a perfect example of what this could look like in reality. For the syrup, we only use a part of the fruit. Yet, you can reuse the other pieces in many different ways.

Pineapple top used for growing a pineapple

Pineapple leaves make a pretty garnish, or you can plant the whole top of the fruit and grow your own pineapple.

Also, the pineapple skins and core can be used to produce Tepache, a slightly fizzy drink made from fermented pineapple. The process of making Tepache is quite similar to Kvass.

Leftover chunks of pineapple, grilled or not, can be used in desserts, muddled into cocktails, or they make as a pretty cocktail garnish.

And just like that, we used all parts of the pineapple while making an amazing grilled pineapple syrup.

Related recipes

Homemade hibiscus syrup is a beautiful way to bring a tart and floral taste to cocktails. There are only a few -if any- flowers with such a strong aroma that translates equally well into syrup or infusions.

That hibiscus syrup adds beautiful color to your drink is a big plus, and on top, the leftover buds make for one of the easiest and most pretty floral garnishes. Roselle hibiscus simply is the ultimate allrounder among floral cocktail ingredients.

Homemade hibiscus syrup

Recipe Homemade Hibiscus Syrup

An intensive floral syrup and an excellent alternative to simple syrup in your cocktails.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Shaking time20 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Asian
Keyword: Christmas syrup, hibiscus, roselle
Servings: 45
Calories: 32kcal
Cost: $3

Equipment

  • 1 sauce pan
  • 1 sealable container
  • 1 Strainer

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup roselle flowers - dried or fresh

Instructions

  • Add sugar and water to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Stir until the sugar is fully resolved.
    2 cups water, 2 cups sugar
  • Reduce the heat and add the hibiscus flowers to the saucepan. Let them simmer away for 10 - 15 minutes.
    1 cup roselle flowers
  • Remove your syrup from the heat, let it cool down, and strain it into an airtight container. If you have small bits of hibiscus in your syrup, consider double straining to remove all residue.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5ozCalories: 32kcalCarbohydrates: 7gSugar: 7g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Tips for Making Hibiscus Syrup

For our hibiscus syrup, you won't need many ingredients: Only sugar, water, and a handful of Roselle hibiscus flowers. Now, extracting the flavor and color of Roselle is incredibly easy:

Unlike other flavored red or pink syrups made, for instance, from figs or dragon fruit, you don't need heat to bring flavor and color into your syrup. Roselle only needs liquid, which is already a success guarantee for your syrup. Still, you need the heat to resolve the sugar in the water:

Homemade hibiscus syrup

Thus, add the water and sugar to a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and add the roselle petals. Then, let the syrup steep at low heat for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir the mix from time to time and add more sugar if you like your syrup to have a thicker consistency. Once the syrup is a deep, vibrant red, remove the saucepan from the heat and let everything cool down.

Now, you need a fine strainer to remove the hibiscus flowers. If these are still intact, you can set them aside and use them as garnish for your drinks. - Skewer the sweet, soaked flowers on a cocktail pick, et voila!

Finally, fill your homemade hibiscus syrup into an airtight container and store it in the fridge.

Hibiscus Syrup in Cocktails

Your homemade hibiscus syrup is a fantastic addition to herbal highballs like a Gin and Tonic. And due to its fruity notes, it also works perfectly with Whiskey, for instance, as a substitute for simple syrup in a Whiskey Sour or a Lynchburg Lemonade

You can also use your homemade syrup to spice up a regular glass of Champagne or Prosecco. Pour about 0.5oz into your glass and top it with the bubbly. 

What is Roselle Hibiscus? 

The Hibiscus genus comprises multiple hundred species that come in countless shapes and colors. The one we want is the magenta or crimson-colored Roselle variety. 

Roselle, also known as red sorrel or Florida cranberry, is a common ingredient in fruit teas, refreshments, and also in mixology. It creates a very intense red color, has a tart, almost cranberry-like flavor, and contains considerable amounts of vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium.

roselle

Roselle is believed to be native to West Africa, from where it traveled to Asia and the West Indies. People have used it in food, beverages, and to make all sorts of medicine for centuries.

Until today, many credit Roselle with medical properties such as lowering blood pressure. It's not scientifically proven, though.

Either way, it's a great addition to your cocktails and a beautiful ingredient to make syrup with.

More Floral Syrups

If you like our hibiscus syrup, how about these other floral delights you can make at home? -One even brings some magic to your cocktails:

Homemade Elderflower Syrup is a fantastic way to bring sweetness and some floral scents to your drink. It is easy to make and tastes delicious. -Even though you need a little more time than you do for syrup made from fruit, like, for instance, passion fruit syrup or fig syrup. But it is absolutely worth it, so try out our recipe for the perfect Elderflower syrup.

Elderflowers for your syrup

First, you can use fresh and dried elderflowers for your syrup. But only fresh blossoms will really bring the elegant floral notes you're looking for. Therefore, first, check where you can get fresh elderflowers. I highly recommend making the effort only with fresh flowers.

Elderflower

Where I live, you can find them in almost every wooded area and often on roadsides (I recommend not to use flowers growing near busy roads). And also in the garden of some neighbors, where we can steal them. But I don't know your neighbors - better ask first. So, if they don't grow wild anywhere near you, check online. Some stores sell them freshly cut. 

And when you can find them in nature, only get the flowers. Not the elderberries. You will only need the white umbels for the syrup. Plus, please remember that the berries are poisonous when consumed raw.

Elderflower season usually is from late spring to early-mid summer.

How to make Elderflower Syrup

All you need for the syrup is elderflowers, lemon, citric acid, sugar, water, a 1.5-gallon bucket, a clean muslin cloth, and a little patience.

To clean the elderflowers, shake them gently. But don't wash them because they could lose part of their flavor. And if some of the flowers still have leaves or long stems, cut those off.

Cut the lemon into slices and put the flowers, the citric acid, and the lemon into the bucket. Add one gallon of water, cover the bucket with the cloth, and let everything sit for 24 hours.

Elderflower Umbels

Then you can add the sugar, give the mixture a good stir, and let it steep for another 24 hours.

After two days, strain your syrup-to-be through the cloth or kitchen towel into a large pot. Bring the mix to a boil. Once the syrup cooks, you can reduce the heat and let everything simmer away for 20 - 30 minutes until it becomes a slightly thicker consistency. Now strain your syrup into a sealable container.

Cocktail Ideas with Elderflower Syrup

In Europe, Elderflower Syrup is a common addition to sparkling wine. You just add 0.5oz to a champagne flute and top it off with bubbly. 

Elderflower also goes extremely well with Gin. So you could create an Elderflower Gimlet: Just replace the simple syrup in the classic Gin Gimlet recipe by elderflower. By that, you bring a delightful floral note to the cocktail. And you can also use the umbels as a pretty flower garnish for the cocktail.

Mint is another ingredient that works brilliantly with elderflower. Hence, you can apply the same principle to the Southside Cocktail. Replace the rich simple syrup from the original recipe with your homemade Elderflower Syrup.

Or how about adding elderflower to a Mint Julep? That's a more adventurous combination of Bourbon and elderflower. Just replace the powdered sugar with a splash of homemade elderflower syrup.

Elderflower Syrup

Recipe Elderflower Syrup

An elegant ,floral, sweet and slightly acidic syrup for your cocktails.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Shaking time30 minutes
Resting Time: 2 days
Total Time: 2 days 40 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: European
Keyword: Christmas syrup, elderflower
Servings: 35 oz
Calories: 46kcal
Cost: $4

Equipment

  • 1 1-gallon bucket
  • 1 muslin cloth
  • 1 cup
  • 1 large pot

Ingredients

  • 35 oz water
  • 35 oz sugar
  • 1 lemon
  • ¾ oz citric acid
  • 20 elderflower umbels

Instructions

  • Cut off leaves and long stems of the elderflowers and shake them gently to free them of pollen or other residues.
  • Slice the lemon.
  • Add lemon, citric acid, the elderflower umbels, and water into your bucket. Cover the bucket with the muslin cloth and let everything sit for 24h.
  • After 24h, add the sugar. Then cover the bucket again, give the mixture a good stir, and let it steep for another 24h.
  • Remove the muslin cloth and use it as a fine sieve for straining your mixture into a large pot.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until it starts thickening.
  • Finally, let the syrup cool down and fill it into an airtight sealable container. The syrup should be good for at least four weeks when stored in a dark, cool place. Usually, though, the shelf life of this syrup is way longer.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5ozCalories: 46kcal
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More floral syrups

A pink cocktail always is an eye-catcher, and this Pink Fig Gin Tonic does not only look beautiful... it also tastes sensational. 

The addition of fig creates an extra layer of fruity flavors and brings a little extra sweetness to the highball, making the pink drink a delicious after-work sip. Yet, it is suited even better as a beautiful serve on Valentine's, birthdays, or weddings.

Quick Facts Pink Fig Gin Tonic

With gin usually not bringing much bitterness, you don't want to end up with a drink more suitable for a candy bar. Thus, we will explain a few things to in mind when selecting the ingredients below. 

Pink Fig Gin Tonic

Recipe Pink Fig Gin Tonic

A bright, colorful, refreshing, and refreshing Gin and Tonic with fruity fig notes shining through.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: fig, Gin
Servings: 1
Calories: 209kcal
Cost: $2.20

Equipment

  • 1 Bar spoon
  • 1 Jigger

Ingredients

  • 2 oz London Dry Gin
  • 4 oz Tonic Water - Indian or dry
  • 0.5 oz Fig Syrup
  • 0.25 oz lemon juice
  • 2 slices fresh fig - for garnish

Instructions

  • Add Gin, fig syrup, and a splash of lemon juice to your highball glass. Give everything a good stir until Gin and syrup are blended fully.
    2 oz London Dry Gin, 0.5 oz Fig Syrup, 0.25 oz lemon juice
  • Now add a large ice cube and top up everything with tonic water.
    4 oz Tonic Water
  • Use two slices of fresh fig to garnish your drink. Cheers!
    2 slices fresh fig

Nutrition

Serving: 6.75ozCalories: 209kcalCarbohydrates: 8.35gSodium: 22.45mgPotassium: 3.3mgSugar: 8.35gVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 2.1mgIron: 0.01mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Ingredients for our Pink Fig Gin Tonic

To get a nicely balanced drink, here are a few tips. Follow these when picking the ingredients, and you will get your Pink Fig G&T just right.

Pink Fig G+T

Tipps for the perfect Pink Fig Gin Tonic

Preparing your Pink Fig Gin and Tonic in the correct order is crucial to get a consistent color and taste:

Add the syrup into your glass first to ensure the fig syrup blends nicely with your Gin and Tonic. In the second step, pour the fresh lemon juice and gin into your cocktail glass. 

Give everything a good stir until the syrup fully combines with gin and lemon juice. Only then do you add ice and top everything up with tonic water.

If you add the tonic before stirring, you will lose carbonation, and your drink will fall flat. Also, if you add the ice before, it will dilute the G&T. Plus, it would complicate the process of stirring itself. 

Another vital factor is the ice: use large, clear ice cubes. They will melt slower, so your drink won't turn into a water puddle within five minutes of pouring. Support that by cooling all ingredients and the glass prior to mixing.

Also, if you're not yet happy with the color of your drink, you can adjust the recipe and add a bit more syrup. -But make a tester before serving it to your guests. 

In case you might have gone too far with the syrup and your G&T turns out a little too sweet, add an extra splash of lemon juice.

Related Recipes

Gin and tonic are a versatile combination, which has brought forth innumerable riffs, tweaks, and twists. Two of our favorites are the Aperol Gin & Tonic and the Espresso G&T. 

Other modern and popular gin-based recipes you should try are:

Using syrups in cocktails and alcohol-free drinks to counterbalance bitterness is nothing new. And Fig syrup is a beautiful way to do that.

You can make syrup from almost anything. Of course, some things are better suited than others. -A cucumber syrup would neither taste like nor will it have an impressive color. But there are unusual things like Prosecco syrup or syrup made from butterfly pea flowers that will bring some magic color-changing to your drink. 

And with this fresh fig syrup, you can bring the rich flavor and color of the delicious purple fruit to your cocktail. 

How to make Fig Syrup

Making homemade fig syrup is not overly complicated. However, it takes some time. Apart from figs, you also need demerara sugar, water, lemon juice, and little cinnamon and vanilla.

Demerara sugar is a raw, aromatic, unrefined sugar made from sugar cane with light brown crystals. It can sometimes be hard to get, though. So if you cannot get a hand on demerara, use regular brown sugar instead.

All you have to do is chop up all your fresh figs, mash them slightly, and add them to a saucepan together with all the other ingredients. Heat everything up over medium heat while stirring.

Figs in saucepan

Once your fig-syrup-to-be starts to cook and the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat and close the lid. Let the mix simmer for about 30 minutes and stir occasionally.

Be sure to check the consistency regularly. The longer your fig syrup cooks, the thicker it will get. And it will become thicker even when cooled down. You want it to drip off your spoon easily.

After 30 minutes max., take the saucepan off the heat and let the syrup cool down. Then strain into a bottle - best to have a funnel handy. Now, your fig syrup is ready to be used in your cocktails.

When stored in a fridge, the syrup will last for four weeks. And you can add a splash of Vodka to make your syrup last even longer.

Dried or fresh figs?

You can use either dried figs or fresh fruits. Fresh figs will make for a lighter, less intensely flavored fig syrup. Dried figs, in turn, just like when eating them, will create a very aromatic fig syrup. And the color will also turn out differently. 

Fresh figs make a lighter, paler fig syrup, whereas a syrup made with dried figs will be deeper in color. We go with fresh fruits in our recipe because we like that hint of freshness in our syrup.

A short excursion into the world of Figs

The small tree with big leaves and bell-shaped fruits with slightly wrinkled, purplish skin is native to the Mediterranean and Asia. An individual fruit is 1.5 - 2 inches long.

The fruit flesh is beautifully sweet, soft, and reddish-pink. It also contains a large number of crunchy seeds. Figs are a good supplier of vitamins c and b, calcium, iron, and magnesium.

Also: the seeds are the actual fruit. The flesh around them is a so-called syconium. Usually, one only eats the pulp of a fig, but if you want to, the skin is edible, too.

fresh figs

The taste of fresh figs usually is sweet, juicy, and aromatic. However, it largely depends on the time of harvesting as they won't continue to ripen once harvested. If done too early, they will turn out completely bland. If done too late, they will be rotten.

And also, ripe fruits don't last long. Thus, even more reason for me to save them and turn them into delicious fig syrup.

Fig syrup in cocktails

Fig syrup goes well with Vodka. The neutral spirit generally is super easy to pair with other ingredients. So, for instance, you can add a few drops to your next Vodka Martini.

And fig syrup is also a great addition to a Gin and Tonic. Yet, because Gin is relatively mild, you need the right tonic so it doesn't turn out too sweet. If you get that right, you will receive a delightfully pink and aromatic G&T. Here's our recipe: Pink Fig Gin Tonic 

And fig syrup also works amazingly well with Whiskey. Because the aged spirit often carries a hint of fruitiness, figs sometimes even being among them, this syrup is perfect. 

You could try adding a few drops to a classic Old Fashioned and see how you like that.

Fig syrup recipe

Fig Syrup

A fruity, colorful syrup that will make your cocktails shine.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Shaking time30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Dessert, Drinks
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: syrup
Servings: 20 approx.
Cost: $6

Equipment

  • 1 sauce pan
  • 1 12oz glass bottle
  • 1 Strainer
  • 1 funnel

Ingredients

  • 5 pcs fresh figs - quartered, stems removed
  • 1 ½ cup demerara sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice - freshly squeezed
  • 1 tbsp Vodka - optional

Instructions

  • Chop the figs in quarters and remove the stem. Mash them slightly before adding them to a saucepan.
  • Now add the remaining ingredients into the saucepan, as well. Turn heat to medium and gently heat and stir the mix.
  • When the mix is about to start boiling, reduce heat and keep stirring until sugar completely dissolves and the figs fall apart.
  • Let the mixture simmer for 15 to 30 minutes until your fig syrup turns sticky.
  • Remove from heat and let the syrup cool down to room temperature. Strain into a bottle and store it in the fridge. Use up within four weeks.
  • If you want to extend the shelf life of your syrup beyond four weeks, add a tbs of Vodka.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Using Prosecco in cocktails is not a new thing in mixology. There are plenty of classic cocktail recipes that include Italian sparkling wine, like the Bellini, Barracuda, or Spritz cocktails. 

However, Prosecco syrup is quite a new way to bring the taste of bubbly into drinks. What started as an experiment to make sour versions of classics like the Aperol Spritz grew into a hip trend in craft cocktail bars.

What makes this even better is that you can make use of an opened bottle of Prosecco that's been in your fridge a little too long and fallen flat. So, it's also a sustainable syrup option.

Read on to find out how to make the perfect Prosecco simple syrup and how you can use it in cocktails.

Jump to Recipe | Ingredients | How to make it | Variations | FAQs

Ingredients

To make this syrup, you only need three ingredients:

I recommend caster sugar for this syrup because darker, less refined options can overpower the delicate taste of Prosecco. - I once tried Demerara, but it was nowhere near as good as the version with regular caster sugar.

Now, the star of the show, Prosecco. Usually, in cocktails, it is recommendable to go for extra dry or dry sparkling wine, as the drink turns out too sweet and unbalanced otherwise. Also, you want a nice effervescence for your drinks not to fall flat.

With this recipe, it is different. It won't have bubbles, and it will be sweet anyway. So you can use an opened bottle that has lost some or all of its fizz. 

How to make Prosecco Syrup

The steps are similar to making regular simple syrup: 

Step 1: you need to combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. For that, you first pour in the sparkling wine, then add the sugar and the freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

Step 2: Turn your stove to medium heat and stir slowly while your syrup mixture warms up. Once the mix starts boiling, turn down the heat a bit and keep stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Step 3: Now, remove your syrup from the heat and let it cool down. Don't worry if you feel it is still a little too runny. It will get thicker while cooling down.

Step 4: Once your syrup is cold, you can use a fine sieve and strain it into a clean, sealable bottle. Stored in the fridge, your Prosecco syrup will last a minimum of four weeks. 

Variations

We like to use Prosecco for our recipe because it has a relatively fruity taste and is affordable. However, you can basically substitute the Italian Bubbly with any other type of sparkling wine. From Spanish Cava to luxurious Champagne from France, everything works. 

Champagne Syrup certainly is a more luxurious and decadent version. However, I find it a waste of money. - In general, since Champagne is a lot more expensive, but also because it lacks the fruity notes that make this syrup great.

More syrups for your cocktails

Prosecco syrup recipe

Prosecco syrup

A refined syrup made with Prosecco that will create elegant cocktails.
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Shaking time15 minutes
Resting: 1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Syrup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Prosecco
Servings: 35
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • 1 Lemon squeezer

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups Prosecco
  • 1.5 cups Caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients into a small saucepan. Turn heat to medium and gently stir the mix.
  • When the mix is about to start boiling, reduce heat. Keep stirring until sugar completely dissolves.
  • Remove from heat and let the syrup cool down to room temperature.
  • Strain and bottle the syrup and store it in the fridge. Use up within four weeks.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much sugar do I need for Prosecco syrup?

Our Prosecco simple syrup recipe uses equal parts of sugar and Prosecco. Meaning, for 1.5 cups of Prosecco, you should use 1.5 cups of caster sugar.

How many calories are in Prosecco syrup?

A prosecco syrup made of Brut Prosecco contains 129 calories per oz, most of which come from sugar.

ContactAbout usPrivacy PolicyTermsSitemap
Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases from Amazon.com.

© 2023 Cocktail-Society.com