Rosemary Simple Syrup

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All you need to make this rosemary simple syrup recipe at home is water, sugar, and fresh rosemary sprigs. Use it in cocktails for a deliciously sweet and herbal flavor!

As avid cocktail enthusiasts, we’re always excited about new ways to introduce fresh ingredients to our drinks. So when we picked up a massive bunch of fresh rosemary from the farmer’s market last week, we knew we could come up with a rosemary cocktail to help use it all. That’s when we created our Rosemary Vodka Lemonade, featuring this rosemary-infused simple syrup.

What This Recipe Entails

Making simple syrup is super easy. Making flavored simple syrup is thankfully just as easy! By adding fresh rosemary to the pot while making simple syrup, it will infuse the flavors into the sugar and water leaving you with a lovely rosemary simple syrup.

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 10 minutes
• Cooling time: 30 minutes

Infused simple syrups are one of the best ways to use fresh herbs in cocktails, especially when you’ve got a bunch of herbs that you don’t know what else to do with. Simple syrup is super easy to make, and an herbal infusion adds a really nice botanical flavor that can spice up a cocktail or introduce some seasonal notes to a drink.

Since simple syrup is really just liquid sweetener, you don’t have to only use it in cocktails. You can also add it to iced tea, coffee, baked goods, and plenty of other recipes! But if you’re a cocktail lover like us, we promise you’ll have no problem using this simple syrup. The rosemary flavor goes especially well with vodka- and gin-based cocktails.

How To Make Rosemary Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is pretty simple to make at home! It’s basically just sugar water, so all you need to do is combine equal parts sugar and water. To make herb-infused simple syrup, you simply steep the herbs in the warm sugar water until the flavor comes through. Here’s how to make rosemary simple syrup:

1. Heat water in a saucepan until lightly steaming. You don’t want to boil it – you’re warming it up just enough so that the sugar easily dissolves.
2. Stir in sugar until fully dissolved.
3. Add fresh rosemary sprigs and simmer for a few minutes, just long enough for the rosemary to begin wilting.
4. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 30 minutes, leaving the rosemary sprigs in the saucepan. This rest period will allow the flavors to infuse while the simple syrup cools down to room temperature.
5. Once cooled, use a fine mesh strainer to transfer the simple syrup to a jar or glass bottle. 
6. Store in the fridge for up to one month and use in cocktails like our Rosemary Vodka Lemonade for a refreshing summer treat!

Cocktails With Rosemary Simple Syrup

You can use this rosemary infused simple syrup in any number of drinks, but our favorite use for it is in cocktails! Here are some ideas for making cocktails with rosemary simple syrup:

• Rosemary vodka lemonade: A light refreshing vodka lemonade with an herbal twist.
• Rosemary old fashioned: Subsitute rosemary simple syrup for the regular simple syrup or sugar cube in your old fashioned. The herbal notes can give a Christmasy vibe to the classic drink for the holidays.
• Rosemary cranberry margarita: Add some sophistication to your margarita with a lovely rosemary and cranberry pairing.
• Vodka soda or gin and tonic: Adding a little sweetness and herbal notes can give a little pick up to any of your favorite vodka and gin based drinks!
• Rosemary cosmo: The cosmo is another basic vodka based cocktail that works really well with a rosemary twist!

No matter how you use it, or what cocktail you add rosemary simple syrup to, it’ll quickly become a staple on your cocktail shelf. Let us know in the comments below your favorite drinks to make with rosemary simple syrup!