Flavored Simple Syrups for Mocktails, Cocktails, and Lattes at Home

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Making delicious bespoke mocktails, cocktails, or lattes at home that taste just as good as those made professionally is easy with these four recipes for flavored simple syrups – and a real money saver. And though the thought of making simple syrup at home might seem daunting, infusing your favorite flavors into simple syrup is a snap.

Great for the sober curious, dry January adherents, those looking to decrease their alcohol intake, or anyone who wants to step up their mixology game!

Flavored Simple Syrups – The Key to Tasty, Inexpensive Mocktails And Cocktails

Like just about everything else, the price of mocktails and cocktails continues to climb. In our town, most restaurants are charging fifteen to twenty dollars for cocktails. And flavored coffees and lattes aren’t much better, coming in at five to eight dollars. 

After reading so many articles about the health impacts of imbibing, I’ve cut way back on my alcohol consumption. Though I continue to enjoy the ritual of sipping a special drink from an elegant glass, my beverage of choice is often a mocktail. But if you’re ordering from bar, they’re pricey too.

That’s why I started checking out restaurant drink recipes a while back, hoping to recreate some delicious mocktails at home. But most of the time, I’d find that the drink recipes included ingredients I didn’t keep on hand – including flavored simple syrups. And there’s only so many combinations you can get without having these ingredients (such as my Coconut-Lime Mocktails).

But I’ve got good news. Making your own flavored simple syrups for mocktails and cocktails is, well…simple! And I mean really simple, as in three ingredients and you’re set simple.

The better news is this – once you have a variety of flavored simple syrups on hand, you’ll be able to concoct all kinds of delicious, bespoke mocktails, cocktails, or lattes at home.

And the best news is that (assuming you don’t use edible gold leaf as a garnish – yes, that’s an actual thing) your home mixed beverages will cost a fraction of what you’d pay in your local restaurant, bar, or coffee shop.

Gotta love that, right?

But before I share the recipes and methods for making your own flavored simple syrups for mocktails, cocktails, and lattes, let’s discuss one important question.

What Is Simple Syrup Anyway? And Can I Make it at Home?

Simple syrup is a key ingredient in all kinds of classic cocktails, including Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, Mai Tais, Mint Juleps, French 75s, and many more. It’s also used in many, if not most, mocktail recipes.

What actually goes into simple syrup?

Just two things – sugar and water. No kidding. That’s all it is; sugar and water boiled together so the sugar dissolves completely, making a sweet syrup that blends easily with other liquids.

Plain simple syrup is a great thing to keep in your bar.

However, if you want to up your mixology game so you can make creative, surprising, delicious drinks at home – making some flavored simple syrups is definitely worth doing.

Syrups infused with herbs, citrus, or other ingredients can add an extra layer of flavor to traditional cocktails.

But they really shine in mocktails, bringing a depth and complexity that can make a non-alcoholic drink into a satisfying, grown-up beverage worth sipping and savoring.  If you’re sober curious, cutting back, observing a dry January, or never drink at all, you’re going to love making your own flavored simple syrups.

A Simple Syrup Recipe Base, Methods, and Storage

All manner of fresh herbs, fruits, peels, and spices can be used to make flavored simple syrups. Don’t be afraid to experiment with ingredients and blends.

My (very successful!) experiment resulted in four different flavored simple syrups – basil, rosemary, orange, and coffee.

In each case, the base recipe is the same, one cup of water and one cup of sugar, brought to a low boil over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, then cooled and bottled. The difference lies in the extra ingredient type and amounts used for each syrup, plus the method of infusion.

Homemade simple syrup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. I store mine in these swing-top bottles I found on Amazon. They’re super cute and the perfect size, and can also be used to store homemade salad dressing or flavored vinegars. 

Four Recipes for Flavored Simple Syrups for at Home Mocktails and Cocktails

Following are the recipe amounts for each of the syrups I made.

• Basil Simple Syrup – 1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 packed cup fresh basil leaves
• Rosemary Simple Syrup – 1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup packed rosemary leaves
• Orange Simple Syrup – 1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar, peel of two large oranges (the orange peel only, not the white pith)
• Coffee Simple Syrup – 1 cup water, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 T fresh ground coffee

The cooking method is similar for each.

Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Reduce heat to simmer. Add the basil, rosemary, orange peel, or ground coffee to the pot and simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Remove the pot from heat and allow the syrup to steep for 30 to 60 minutes. Pour the cooled syrup through a fine strainer to remove herbs, peels, or coffee. (Strain the coffee syrup twice to remove all the grounds. Press the basil leaves against the strainer with the back of the spoon to extract as much syrup as possible.)

Pour syrup into a covered jar or bottle with a lid. Finished syrup can be store covered in the refrigerator for four to six weeks.

What To Do With Flavored Simple Syrups – A Sample Beginner Mocktail Recipe

Ideas for mocktails and cocktails made with flavored simple syrups are as vast as your imagination. Try making a few recipes of your own and you’ll soon see what I mean.

Since the syrup is sweet, try balancing it by using mixers, juices, tonic, vinegars, or sodas that bring a touch of acidity or bitterness to the party. And look for flavors that complement each other.

For example, if I wanted to make a cocktail with the orange syrup, I might shake it up with some lime juice, and a jigger of coconut-flavored vodka and see what happens. For a mocktail, I might swap ginger beer for the vodka and pour it into a tall glass over ice.

Again, don’t be afraid to experiment!

However, if you’re feeling short on inspiration, a quick internet search for “mocktails with orange simple syrup” will bring up dozens of hits.

Here’s a recipe I came up with to start you off…

Marie’s Rosemary Blush Mocktail

• 2 T rosemary simple syrup
• 5 oz tart cherry juice (pure juice, no sugar added)
• 2 oz Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic

Pour rosemary simple syrup and cherry juice into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously to combine. Pour mixture into a highball glass (with or without ice), top with tonic and stir. Garnish with rosemary sprig if desired.

Alternative preparation – Pour syrup and cherry juice combination into a tall glass filled with ice. Fill glass to the rim with tonic and stir.

Flavored simple syrups are so easy to make and so delicious to use in all kinds of mocktails and cocktails. Mix up a batch of your own soon and get the new year off to a great start!

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