Homemade Simple Syrup: Quick Recipe for Cocktails and Drinks

Every bartender should know how to make simple syrup. Whether you’re mixing cocktails for friends at home or working behind a busy bar, this basic recipe is bartending 101. A reliable simple syrup ensures balanced, well-sweetened drinks without grainy sugar settling in the glass.

When I started bartending, I learned quickly that great drinks depend on solid fundamentals. Personality and technique matter, but so does knowing how to make reliable batched ingredients: simple syrup, sour mix, and other staples. Simple syrup is an indispensable component for cocktails as well as nonalcoholic drinks like iced tea and lemonade. It also has culinary uses, such as moistening cake layers or glazing fruit.

Simple syrup is forgiving and fast to make. You can prepare small amounts to keep fresh at home or batch larger quantities to store. The standard technique uses only two ingredients—water and granulated sugar—and the method is the same whether you want plain syrup or an infused variety. Below you’ll find the standard ratio, the basic method, and a selection of easy infusions to expand your home bar repertoire.

What is simple syrup?

• Simple syrup is a mixture of water and sugar that sweetens beverages without undissolved sugar crystals. It blends smoothly into cocktails, coffee, tea, and cold drinks where granulated sugar might otherwise sink to the bottom.

Simple syrup ratio

• The standard simple syrup ratio is 1:1 by volume—one part water to one part sugar. This yields a pourable syrup that works for most cocktails and beverages.
• If you prefer a thicker, sweeter syrup, try a 1:2 water-to-sugar ratio (one part water to two parts sugar). That richer syrup is more concentrated, so you use less of it in drinks.

Simple syrup is extremely versatile. Use it in cocktails to sweeten without grain, in homemade lemonade and iced tea, or in baking to add moisture and flavor to cakes. Because it takes flavors well, simple syrup is also an excellent vehicle for infusions—herbs, spices, citrus peel, and fruit all contribute pleasant, layered flavors when steeped in warm syrup.

Infused simple syrups are an easy way to add depth to drinks and recipes. The following infusion notes are based on a 1 cup water to 1 cup sugar ratio unless noted otherwise. Steeping times and ingredient amounts can be adjusted to taste.

• Mint: After the sugar dissolves, add about 12 fresh mint leaves. Remove from heat, let the mixture steep for 30 minutes, then strain out the leaves and cool. Mint syrup is ideal for mojitos, juleps, and herbal lemonades.
• Lavender: Use 1 tablespoon of dried culinary lavender. Dissolve the sugar in water, add the blossoms, steep for 30 minutes, strain, and cool. Lavender syrup is floral and delicate—use sparingly in cocktails and desserts.
• Mojito-style / Lime-infused: Add strips of lime peel (avoid the bitter white pith) to the warm syrup after the sugar dissolves. Steep 30 minutes, strain, and cool. For extra brightness, stir in a splash of fresh lime juice once cooled.
• Ginger: Add a few slices or small chunks of peeled fresh ginger when the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and steep 30–60 minutes, depending on how bold you want the ginger. Strain before cooling. Ginger syrup pairs well with rum, tequila, and sparkling water.
• Honey simple syrup (hydromel): Substitute honey for granulated sugar using equal parts honey and warm water. Warm gently until the honey fully dissolves, cool, and store. Honey syrup works beautifully in whiskey cocktails and tea.
• Strawberry: Combine about 1 pound of hulled strawberries with the water and sugar, simmer gently for 10 minutes, then mash and strain. Cool before storing. The result is richly flavored and excellent in spritzes and lemonades.
• Rosemary: Add 3–4 sprigs of fresh rosemary to the syrup after the sugar dissolves. Steep for 30 minutes, strain, and cool. Rosemary syrup complements gin, citrus-based drinks, and desserts.

I also experiment with seasonal herbs like sage and citrus-infused syrups for cocktails and baking. Infusions are forgiving—taste as you go and adjust steeping time or ingredient quantity for the flavor intensity you prefer.

Where to buy simple syrup

• Pre-made simple syrup is available in many grocery and liquor stores, typically in the cocktail or mixers section.
• Making simple syrup at home is faster and cheaper than buying pre-made bottles. If you can boil water and stir until sugar dissolves, you can make excellent syrup in minutes.

Other recipes you may like

• Peach Sweet Tea
• Homemade Lemonade
• Copycat Cherry Limeade
• Sweet and Sour Mix
• How to Make Jello Shots

All nutritional information is an estimate and will vary based on exact ingredients and portion sizes.