It is easy to infuse simple syrup with a wide variety of flavors – Basil Simple Syrup is a fragrant variation made by steeping fresh basil leaves in warm simple syrup. As the basil infuses, it releases its bright, slightly peppery herbal aroma into the syrup, creating a sweetener with a fresh garden flavor. After the leaves are strained out, the syrup can be used to add subtle herbal sweetness to cocktails, lemonade, iced tea, fruit dishes, or desserts, where it pairs especially well with flavors like lemon, strawberry, watermelon, and lime. The result is a simple syrup that transforms ordinary drinks and recipes with a refreshing, aromatic twist.
Cocktails that can be elevated by Basil Simple Syrup include:
- Basil Gimlet – adds herbal complexity to gin and lime
- Basil Vodka Lemonade – pairs vodka and citrus with fresh, peppery basil notes
- Basil Mojito – a twist on the classic, swapping mint for basil for a fragrant, savory edge
- Basil Margarita – complements tequila and lime with a fresh herbal aroma
- Basil Smash – enhances gin, lemon, and muddled fruit with a subtle herbal sweetness
- Strawberry Basil Collins – combines gin, lemon, strawberries, and basil syrup for a refreshing cocktail
- Basil Bourbon Lemonade – pairs bourbon and citrus with aromatic basil depth
- Basil Spritz – brightens sparkling wine or Prosecco with a fragrant herbal note
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.
Basil Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
Instructions
- Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to a simmer, stirring the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the basil leaves and simmer for 1 minute.
- Remove the syrup from the heat, cover the pot and allow the syrup to steep for 10 minutes.
- Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar.
- Seal the jar with a tight-fitting lid. and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Chill completely before mixing into cocktails.