Simple Syrup
Is this for me?
Choose this if…
- ✓You want to add sweetness and flavour depth to a drink.
Skip if…
- ✗You prefer dry, unsweetened cocktails.
What is Simple Syrup?
Simple syrup is a basic cocktail sweetener made from sugar and water. It dissolves easily into cold drinks and is used to balance citrus, soften strong spirits and add body to sours, fizzes, punches and mocktails.
What does Simple Syrup taste like?
Clean, neutral sweetness with no strong aroma. Simple syrup is useful when a drink needs sweetness without adding fruit, spice, honey, maple or liqueur flavours.
Simple Syrup profile
Best used for: balancing sours, tropical drinks, balancing citrus cocktails, sweetening drinks
- Appears in 138+ recipes
- Works in both cocktails and mocktails
- Has 5 common substitutes
Best For
Best With Simple Syrup
Drink Profile
Best for
- Sweetening cocktails
- Mocktails
- Best with lemon juice
- Best with lime juice
- Best with gin
Substitutes & similar
Possible substitutes for Simple Syrup
What it is
What is simple syrup?
Simple syrup is a liquid sweetener used to add sugar evenly to cold drinks. Because it is already dissolved, it mixes more easily than granulated sugar in shaken or stirred cocktails.
How it's used
How simple syrup is used
Simple syrup is usually used to balance citrus, coffee, bitterness or strong spirits. It is common in sours, fizzes, highballs, stirred drinks and many non-alcoholic mixed drinks.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
Too much syrup can make a drink feel heavy and hide the main flavors. Start with less, taste the drink, and adjust only if acidity or bitterness is overpowering.
About this drink
Simple syrup is the practical bar version of dissolving sugar before it reaches the glass. It matters in cocktail history because the old formula of spirit, sugar, bitters and water depends on sweetness being integrated rather than gritty.
Drink counts and recipe data are based on published WhatDrink recipes. Figures may vary as new recipes are added.