It is easy to infuse simple syrup with a wide variety of flavors – Rosemary Simple Syrup is made by steeping fresh rosemary sprigs in warm simple syrup, allowing the herb’s piney, aromatic oils to infuse into the sweet liquid. Once the rosemary is strained out, the syrup retains a subtle savory depth that balances sweetness with a fragrant herbal note. It’s commonly used to enhance cocktails, lemonade, sparkling water, roasted fruit, and desserts, and pairs especially well with flavors like lemon, grapefruit, pear, apple, and honey, adding a sophisticated, garden-fresh character.
Cocktails that can be elevated by Rosemary Simple Syrup include:
- Rosemary Gin & Tonic – adds herbal depth to gin and tonic water
- Whiskey or Bourbon Smash – complements citrus and whiskey with earthy notes
- Rosemary Margarita – infuses tequila and lime with a fragrant herbal twist
- Rosemary Lemonade Cocktail – brightens vodka or gin drinks with fresh herbal flavor
- Rosemary Mule – pairs vodka or gin with ginger beer and lime, adding aromatic complexity
- Pear & Rosemary Martini – enhances pear or apple flavors with savory herb undertones
- Rosemary Old Fashioned – adds a subtle savory layer to bourbon or rye cocktails
- Grapefruit & Rosemary Spritz – combines sparkling wine and citrus with aromatic herbal notes
Ingredients: The most common formula is 1 part honey and 1 part warm water, but some bartenders prefer a richer version of 2 parts honey and 1 part water. The richer syrup has a deeper honey flavor and keeps slightly longer.
Preparation: Making honey syrup is easy. Warm the water (it should be hot but not boiling); add the honey to the water; stir or whisk until fully dissolved; then let it cool completely.
A trick that I use is to make the syrup in a glass measuring cup that is large enough for the entire batch. I microwave the water to heat it and then add the honey to the hot water. Honey can be a challenge to measure accurately because its stickiness makes it cling to the sides of a measuring cup or spoon, so you often don’t get the full amount into the recipe. By adding the honey into the measuring cup with the hot water you get the proper amount and don’t have to clean an additional cup.
Storage: Store honey simple syrup in a sealed glass container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator (and don’t forget to label). A 1:1 honey syrup can last about 2 to 3 weeks, and a 2:1 honey syrup can last 3 to 4 weeks or more. If the syrup becomes cloudy, foamy, or smells fermented, discard it.
In short, honey simple syrup is the easiest way to bring honey’s flavor into drinks and recipes without the hassle of dissolving thick honey each time.
Equipment that I Used
- Measuring Cups: A dry measuring cup to measure the sugar and a liquid measuring cup to measure the water (although this recipe doesn’t need to be all that precise, so I use the same measuring cup for the water after I’ve used it for the sugar).
- Saucepan: Large enough for 2 cups of syrup.
- Spoon or Silicone Spatula: For stirring, I like to use a Silicone Spatula because it’s a little easier on the pan and I can use it to scrape the pan clean after cooking.
- Fine Mesh Strainer: A fine mesh strainer is useful when making infused simple syrups. It removes herbs, spices, citrus peel, or other flavoring ingredients after steeping, leaving a smooth, clear syrup.
- Straight-Handled Swivel Vegetable Peeler
- 32 Ounce Wide-Mouth Mason Jar: Mason jars are designed for hot liquids, so freshly made syrup can be poured in without cracking the glass – and the wide mouth type makes them easier to fill. A 32-ounce jar is way too large for 2 cups of syrup, but I find that filling a 16-ounce jar completely with hot liquid doesn’t leave enough headspace to avoid spilling and leaves no room for expansion, stirring, or shaking.
- Canning Funnel: A canning funnel helps to pour the hot syrup from the saucepan into the mason jar without spilling or getting sticky syrup on the rim of the jar,
- Syrup Dispensers: While a mason jar is a good container for cooling and long-term storage, it’s a mess to try to spoon or pour out of. When I’m ready to use my syrup, I transfer it into either a Plastic Condiment Squeeze Bottle – which I find to be the most convenient – or a decorative Syrup Dispenser Bottle if it’s going to be on display on my bar.
Rosemary Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Combine sugar, water and rosemary in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and allow it to steep for 30 minutes.
- Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar and seal with a tight-fitting lid.
- Allow to cool for 4 hours.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Chill completely before mixing into cocktails.