How to Make The Easiest Simple Syrup for Cocktails

Bring the bar experience to your home.
Tayler Tayler (75)
30 minutes

While nothing beats hitting your local favorite watering hole for a beverage, there's something to be said for creating a craft cocktail within the comfort of your home. As many turn to building up their at-home bars, it's easy to overlook one of the most essential ingredients: simple syrup.

Sure, you can buy simple syrup, but making it is just as easy. Here's how to make simple syrup for cocktails, and it's effortless!

What's more, there are a few ways to make a classic simple syrup recipe. You can use either sugar, white or brown, or honey. The easiest and most common method is with white sugar, and that's the recipe I'll be sharing with you here.

And, once you have the regular simple syrup recipe down, you can start infusing your syrups to create fun and inspiring flavors for different cocktails!

So, if you've ever tried your hand at making a cocktail at home only to ask yourself, "What is this missing?" here's how you can make a simple sugar syrup for cocktails.

Kitchen tools
1 eaSauce PanSauce Pan
1 eaLiquid Measuring CupsLiquid Measuring Cups
1 eaWide-mouthed Mason JarWide-mouthed Mason Jar
Ingredients
1 cupsugar
1 cupWater

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Measured sugar.

Measure out one cup of sugar and add it to your saucepan.

Measure out one cup of water and add it to your saucepan, pouring it directly in with the sugar.

Dissolving sugar in simpe syrup.

Place your saucepan of sugar and water on your stove over medium-high heat.

Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring your pan occasionally. Only heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat.

Your simple syrup will now have a thick consistency.

Note: Don't let your simple syrup brown. If you let your mixture brown, you'll have caramel on your hands, not simple syrup.

Simple syrup in a jar.

To cool your freshly made simple syrup, remove your pan and place it away from your stove.

You don't have to stir your simple syrup while it cools. Instead, let it cool down for around 15-20 minutes before pouring it carefully into a mason jar (or the airtight container of your choosing).

Store your container for up to 4 weeks in your refrigerator.

Pro tip: Once you've transferred your simple syrup to your mason jar, clean your saucepan. Once most of the water has evaporated from the leftover sugar in your pan, it will become crystalized sugar which is super annoying to remove.

Cleaning immediately after you pour your cooled simple syrup makes the process a lot easier.

Simple, tasty, and spicy!
Tayler Tayler (75)
30 minutes

What did the pepper say to the simple syrup? "I don't mean to be jalapeño business!" But, what if I told you that jalapeños are meant to be all up in a simple syrup's business?