How to Make Herb Infused Simple Syrup for Cocktails and Mocktails
Let’s make fun and tasty herb infused simple syrup for super flavorful cocktails and mocktails.
Read more: Rhubarb Simple Syrup for Cocktails & Mocktails, How to Use Herbs for Tea, How to Muddle Herbs for Beverages
Combine your favorite herbs, fruits and seasonings to create delicious simple syrups that add an extra something-something to your party drinks. Invite your friends and encourage them to create their signature drink at your beverage table where you have a variety of fruits, herbs, citrus, juice, herb infused simple syrups, sparkling water, soda and spirits. I know you’re going to have a great time!
What is a Simple Syrup?
If you’ve ever tried stirring granulated sugar into an icy cold drink, you know it does not dissolve easily and the last mouthful can be a little gritty. That’s where, pre-dissolved sugar in the form of simple syrup comes in handy. Simple syrup is basically sugar dissolved in water.
It’s the perfect way to sweeten cold beverages – iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, fruit punch, mojitos, margaritas, and so on.
It is a great item to have at your beverage mixing station.
How to Make Simple Syrup
Making simple syrup is as easy as heating water, adding sugar and stirring to dissolve the sugar. The only thing you need to decide is how much water and sugar to add.
There are 3 typical ratios used in classic mixology:
Classic simple syrup 1 part sugar + 1 part water
Rich simple syrup 2 parts sugar + 1 part water
Light simple syrup 1 part sugar + 2 parts water
Classic Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
Instructions
- Heat water to simmer. Add sugar.
- Stir and heat until sugar dissolves (no need to boil). Remove from heat and let cool.
- Pour into clean bottle or jar.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Making Simple Syrup Complex!
Of course, there are ways to make simple syrup complex. Add fruit, herbs and aromatics to the sugar water. Or, replace the water with fruit juice or coconut water or replace the sugar with honey. Or do it all! That’s where your creativity comes in – have fun!
How to Make Herb Infused Simple Syrup
Get creative with your simple syrup by infusing some flavor into it.
It’s just like brewing a cup of tea. Simply add fresh herbs and seasonings (ginger, cinnamon stick, lemon grass stalk, etc.) to the hot simple syrup and let it steep for 15-30 minutes or according to your taste preference. The recipe below for Herb Infused Simple Syrup provides general ratios to get you started. You can halve or double the recipe if you wish.
Herb Infused Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup chopped herbs
Instructions
- Heat water to simmer. Add sugar. Stir and heat until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat, add herbs and let steep for 15-30 minutes. Let cool.
- Strain and pour into bottle or jar.
- Store in fridge for 3-4 weeks.
- Can be frozen for longer storage.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
What Herbs and Seasonings Should I Use?
Use your favorite herbs and whatever you have access to. Some of our favorite creations have been with unlikely herbs like rosemary and sage – who would have guessed?!
Here’s a list of herbs and seasonings we’ve tried and loved. Some of these we used in combination, for example lemon verbena and lemon zest, lemon grass and ginger, elderberry blossoms and rosemary. You can mix and match as much as you’d like!
Use these herbs on their own:
- mint
- sage
- rosemary
- thyme
- basil
- lemon balm
- lemon verbena
- lemon grass
- chamomile
Try mixing these herbs with other ingredients like:
- citrus zest
- fresh ginger
- cinnamon sticks
- star anise
- elderberry blossoms
- hibiscus flowers
- crushed/pureed fruit
Combinations we love. These are just ideas to get you started – get creative!
- 1/2 cup lemon grass leaves coarsely chopped (2 Tbsp white ends) + 1 Tbsp sliced ginger + 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup loose mint + 1Tbsp lemon or lime zest + 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup loose sage + 1/4 cup crushed fresh or frozen cranberries + 2 cinnamon sticks + 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup loose sage + 1/2 cup crushed peaches + 1 cup water + 1 cup sugar
Get even more complex! Instead of brewing these combos in water, brew them in fruit juice or coconut water.
- lemon grass & ginger steeped in coconut water
- mint & lemon or lime with watermelon
- rosemary steeped in pineapple juice
- mint and rhubarb juice
How to Use Herb Infused Simple Syrup
Use herb infused simple syrup in any cocktail or mocktail recipe that calls for simple syrup. For example, last week I made this Strawberry Margarita with our rosemary simple syrup instead of the simple syrup it asks for. It was fantastic!
While we enjoy cocktails at our house now and then, we most often use our herb infused simple syrups for everyday non-alcoholic spritzers. My teen daughter and I have been enjoying these all summer long. While the exact ingredients vary, the formula is pretty much the same:
Fill a glass with ice. Add a 1/4 cup fruit juice, 1-2 Tbsp herb infused simple syrup, fill remainder of glass with sparkling water, stir and enjoy.
Here are some of our favorite combos to try. But be sure to experiment and create your own signature bevie.
Blue Ginger Spritzer
Ingredients
- ice
- 3 Tbsp ginger & lemon grass syrup
- 3-4 whole blueberries/saskatoons/haskaps
- 3/4 cup ginger ale/club soda/sparkling water
- lemon wedge & lemon grass blade
Instructions
- Fill short tumbler with ice.
- Add simple syrup and favorite berries.
- Top with soda or fizzy water.
- Garnish with lemon wedge, berries or blade of lemon grass.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Piña Romero
Ingredients
- ice
- 1-2 Tbsp rosemary simple syrup
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
- ¼ cup coconut water
- Club soda or sparkling water
Instructions
- Fill short tumbler with ice.
- Add simple syrup, pineapple juice, citrus juice and coconut water.
- Stir in club soda or sparkling water. Garnish.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
How to Store Simple Syrup
Store simple syrup sealed well in your fridge. The higher the sugar ratio the longer it will keep. Expect herb infused simple syrup to last for a shorter time.
- Rich simple syrup will last for up to 6 months.
- Classic simple syrup will last for 1 month.
- Light simple syrup will only last 1 to 2 weeks.
For longer storage, all types of simple syrup can be frozen. To use, simply thaw and enjoy.
There you have it. The mystery is revealed. Simple Syrup is just that simple. Enjoy!
More Cocktail Ideas
- How to Muddle Herbs for Cocktails and Mocktails
- Rhubarb Simple Syrup and mocktail recipes.
- Check out the rhubarb cookbook for Rhubarbarita and Rhutini. Yup, I used rhubarb juice to make a rhubarb margarita and a rhubarb martini.
- Click here for a mimosa featuring rhubarb juice, orange juice and sparkling wine like Prosecco or Cava.
Comment below or if you make one of these recipes, share your photos with me on Instagram @getgettys or Facebook @GettyStewart.HomeEconomist.
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