Simple Syrup Monthly
A monthly newsletter for cocktail lovers and home bartenders! Simple Syrup Monthly delivers unique, seasonal syrup recipes straight to your inbox. Whether you’re building a better Old Fashioned or experimenting with new flavors, these homemade syrups will help you shake, stir, and serve like a pro.
Blackberry Syrup: Same Method, Different Berry
I'll be upfront: this is essentially the same recipe as last month's strawberry syrup. Literally the exact same thing. Same method. Same ratios even... it's just a different berry.
I almost didn't post this for that reason. But then I made a batch and put it in a drink and it was just so friggin...
Jul 11, 2026
Fresh Basil Oil: A Bonus Simple Syrup Monthly Post
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Most infused oils go brown. You blend basil with oil and within hours it oxidizes, turns murky, tastes bitter. So it's not exactly useful.
Blanching fixes this. A quick dip in boiling water sets the color, kills the enzymes that cause browning, and keeps the basil bright. It's the step that ma...
Jun 06, 2026
Fresh Strawberry Syrup (Low-Heat Method)
Fresh strawberries are at their peak right now, and if you've got access to good ones (the kind that actually taste like strawberries and not styrofoam) it's worth turning some of them into syrup while they're in season.
This is a no (or very low) heat method. You macerate the berries with sugar...
Jun 05, 2026
The Cocktail Club
A few months ago, I sent you a note about an idea I'd been sitting with: a private space for people who make cocktails (both at home, and professionally) to connect, share what they're working on, and learn from each other without all the noise that comes with most online platforms.
I've been bu...
May 15, 2026
Syrup or Muddle? How to Choose
There's a question that comes up once you start making syrups for yourself: when should I actually make a syrup, and when should I just muddle the ingredient instead?
It's a fair question. Making a syrup can take time: heating, steeping, cooling, straining, storing. Muddling takes ten seconds an...
May 13, 2026
Homemade Orgeat: Almond & Macadamia Nut Versions
Orgeat is one of those syrups that feels more intimidating than it actually is. I'm preaching to myself here, because after about 9 years of being this internet "cocktail guy," this month was my first time making it myself. Yeah it's a bit of work, but woah... WORTH IT.
Orgeat shows up in tiki d...
Apr 18, 2026
Three Syrups, Three Old Fashioneds: A Simple Syrup Monthly Special Edition
It's only ever so slightly different from my usual High-Proof Preacher content, but my Cocktail Camera YouTube channel has a brand new video today that focusses on three Old Fashioned riffs, and using three different syrups. It's a chance to see how much a syrup can shift the direction of a drin...
Mar 09, 2026
Hibiscus, Raspberry & Lemongrass Tea Syrup: Gentle, Floral, Ready for Spring
Tea doesn't get used in cocktails as much as it should. Maybe it's because tea feels too delicate... like it won't hold up against citrus or spirits (a valid concern). Or maybe it's because we haven't been shown good, simple ways to make it work without overthinking it.
This syrup is proof that ...
Mar 06, 2026
Simple vs. Rich: It's Not Actually ALL About Sweetness
There's a question that comes up a lot when people start paying closer attention to their home bar: why do some recipes call for simple syrup and others call for "rich" or 2:1 ratio simple syrup? If you've ever wondered whether rich just means sweeter (and whether that matters) this special edit...
Feb 19, 2026
Agave–Ginger Syrup: Bright Heat Without the Juicer
Ginger is one of the most useful flavors in cocktails—and one of the most over-engineered. Too many recipes send you straight to a juicer or have you wrestling with cheesecloth like you're prepping for service at a cocktail bar.
This syrup keeps things simple. Real ginger heat. Real freshness. N...
Feb 11, 2026
Beer Syrups: Turning Beer Into a Surprisingly Useful Cocktail Sweetener
Beer isn’t the first thing most people think of when they hear “cocktail syrup.” But once you reduce it down on the stove (slowly and gently), and add the right amount of sugar, it turns into something deeply useful: an incredibly layered and versatile sweetener.
I recently made a Beer Syrup usi...
Feb 02, 2026
Grapefruit Oleo Saccharum: Bright Citrus Oil, Zero Heat, Maximum Payoff
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Oleo saccharum sounds fancy, but at its core it’s one of the oldest (and smartest) sweeteners in cocktails. Instead of using juice or heat, you’re using sugar to pull fragra...
Jan 11, 2026
Simple Syrup Monthly