How to Make Cocktail Syrups

Simple syrup is a staple in any good cocktail-maker’s arsenal. And there’s a reason why it’s called simple syrup. It’s made using a ratio of 1 cup white sugar to 1 cup of water. In a small saucepan, simply boil the sugar in the water until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the mixture to cool and you have simple syrup.

I’ve found that flavored syrups often give traditional cocktails a nice twist and they really aren’t much harder to make—and they’re often a good way to use bits of fruit that you would otherwise discard. For instance, after pealing and coring a bunch of peaches, I had about 2 cups of fruit that was bound for the wastebin. But, Jon pointed out that this was perfectly good fruit and so I used it to make a peach syrup.

So, when making a flavored cocktail syrup that involves fruit, I cut back just slightly on the sugar to water ratio. I typically use:

1 cup water
5/6 cup of white sugar
2 cups of fruit

Boil the water and the sugar until the sugar is almost dissolved, then add the fruit.

Allow this mixture to boil 5-7 minutes, until the fruit flesh breaks down and the liquid takes on the bright color and fragrant aroma of the fruit you’re cooking.


Using a fine mesh strainer, separate the cooked bits of fruit (especially the seeds) from the liquid. When you’ve captured all of the solid particles, you’ll want to apply a little pressure to the cooked fruit to squeeze out any last juices it contains.


Then, put the liquid back on the stove and bring it to a boil for 3-5 minutes.


Allow the mixture to cool and you’ll have a tasty flavored cocktail syrup. In the summer, when I have an abundance of fresh fruit or mint leaves, I’ve often made a flavored cocktail syrup to use as gift for party hosts rather than relying on my standard bottle of wine.