Tag: cardamom

mocktail

Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer | A Unique 4-Ingredient Sparkling Iced Coffee Drink for Craft Cocktail Lovers

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Revamp your afternoon pick-me-up with this Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer, a delicious & refreshing sparkling iced coffee drink with a layer of complexity and warmth thanks to the cardamom simple syrup.

This Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer recipe from Recipe Fiction is dang good. I was on the fence about all the sparkling iced coffee drinks I’ve been seeing but when Recipe Fiction’s recipe showed up in my Pinterest feed, I knew I had to give it a shot.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I’ve seen recipes* that claim to be “the cocktail for coffee lovers!” but this, my friends, is the sparkling iced coffee drink for cocktail lovers. It’s the perfect bridge to carry you from your morning coffee to your evening cocktail.

*It’s me. I’ve claimed it. Check out these coffee cocktails: the White Russian & the Colorado Bulldog.

This Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer has got the elements of a well-crafted cocktail– the citrus, the flavored simple syrup, the bubbles– plus the caffeine kick of java. It’s the best of both worlds. Well, it doesn’t have alcohol and I’m sure some folks would definitely include that in the category of “best”. That can easily be remedied by adding in some vodka and/or coffee liqueur.

For a lower ABV drink, just add 3/4 oz of coffee liqueur. If you want it ~actually~ boozy, add in an ounce of vodka in addition to the coffee liqueur.

Revamp your afternoon pick-me-up with this Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer, a delicious & refreshing sparkling iced coffee drink with a layer of complexity and warmth thanks to the cardamom simple syrup.

You could use this same recipe as an outline for other coffee spritzer variations but personally, I love this one. Cardamom is one of my favorite flavors and I’ve long loved it paired with coffee. I lived with a Mexican-American family in a Tibetan village (long story) for a time and one of my favorite memories is enjoying freshly roasted coffee with a few crushed cardamom pods tossed in. If you’ve never had cardamom before, it’s got a beautiful warm complexity to it. I’d describe it as a little fennel-y, a little clove-y, and even a little fruity. If you’ve ever had chai tea before, you’ve had cardamom. You can read more about this unique spice in this short post.

Purchasing pre-made cardamom simple syrup is an option, but if you’ve got the patience to wait for an Amazon Prime package, 5 spare minutes, and enjoy saving a few bucks, I highly recommend you make your own.

If you’re not into cardamom, you can still try making a delish coffee spritzer by using demerara simple syrup, honey simple syrup, or even lavender simple syrup instead.

Have you had a coffee spritzer? What flavors have you tried? If you try out this Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer, be sure to let me know in a comment or by tagging me on Instagram!

Revamp your afternoon pick-me-up with this Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer, a delicious & refreshing sparkling iced coffee drink with a layer of complexity and warmth thanks to the cardamom simple syrup.

Ingredients for a Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer

  • 4 oz cold brew coffee
  • 1/4 – 1/2 oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 oz cardamom simple syrup
  • sparkling water or club soda

How to Make a Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer

Add ice to a highball glass. Pour in the cold brew coffee, lemon juice, and cardamom syrup. Top off the rest of the glass with sparkling water. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a fresh or dehydrated lemon wheel.

Cardamom Citrus Coffee Spritzer

Revamp your afternoon pick-me-up with this delicious & refreshing sparkling iced coffee drink with a layer of complexity and warmth thanks to the cardamom simple syrup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 4 oz coldbrew coffee
  • ¼-½ oz freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 oz cardamom simple syrup*
  • sparkling water or club soda

Instructions
 

  • Add ice to a highball glass.
  • Pour in the cold brew coffee, lemon juice, and cardamom syrup.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with sparkling water.
  • Stir gently to combine.
  • Garnish with a fresh or dehydrated lemon wheel.

Notes

*Cardamom simple syrup: learn how to make it yourself in just a few minutes or purchase some from Amazon.
Keyword cardamom, cardamom simple syrup, coffee, coffee spritzer, cold brew coffee, lemon, lemon juice, sparkling iced coffee

Looking for other ways to use your cardamom simple syrup? Try it out in these recipes:

wine

Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider | The Perfect Drink for Fall and Winter

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This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

This mulled white wine with apple cider is made with brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It’s light enough to please your friends who don’t like red wine, but it’s also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

I’m one of those people. I usually don’t like white wine. It’s often too sweet and too… juice-like for my liking. Give me alllll the dry red wine any day. But I have a few friends who wouldn’t drink red if their life depended on it. Okay, I’m sure they would if their life depended on it. They’d just really prefer not to. So what’s a fun cool-weather cocktail that would please people on both sides of the spectrum? Mulled white wine with apple cider.

My friend came over the other day and we made this together. It’s still pretty warm outside these days but since this is made with white wine, it feels a lot lighter than traditional mulled wine so were able to enjoy a mug-full while watching our kiddos play outside.

This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

Before I jump to the recipe, there are few things to note. When making mulled wine, whether red or white mulled wine, it’s best to pick a wine that is on the dry side and isn’t too sweet. However, I had a bottle of sweet white Bordeaux and it actually turned out great. My friend and I chose to embrace the fruity notes and added some fresh apple cider in.

We also played-up the sweetness of the wine by adding vanilla bean-infused vodka and vanilla extract. Many traditional mulled wines are fortified with brandy. However brandy could overwhelm the delicate notes in white wine so vodka seemed like a better choice. You do you though.

One of the great things about mulled wine is that it’s extremely customizable. You can change up the number of spices you put in according to your personal preference. You can also taste as you go to see if you need to pull any spices out or add more in. Many white mulled wine recipes also call for a couple whole pods of star anise. Star anise is not my favorite flavor (it tastes like licorice), so I used it to garnish only.

This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

Another thing to note: mulled white wine can be made ahead of time. It will typically keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator and can be reheated on the stovetop before you’re ready to drink it. However, strain out all of the aromatics before storing it. Otherwise, you run the risk of the spices overpowering the whole deal.

Have you ever made mulled white wine with apple cider before? How do you like it compared to traditional mulled red wine? Let me know in a comment below!

A mulled white wine with apple cider and brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka. The spices bring delicious warmth to the drink while the apple cider and brown sugar sweeten it the perfect amount. This mulled white wine recipe will be your new go-to for hosting fall and winter get-togethers. It's light enough to please your friends who don't like red wine, but it's also got enough spice to satisfy those who typically pass on white wine.

Ingredients for Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

  • 1 bottle of white wine (dry or semi-sweet works well)
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • zest* and juice from 1 orange
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 whole cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 oz vanilla bean-infused vodka (caramel vodka could be good, too!)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons of brown sugar

*be careful not to remove any of the pith (white part) as it will make the drink bitter

How to Make Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

Add all of the ingredients except for the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on low, allowing the wine to slowly heat up. Be careful not to boil it. When it starts to steam, remove from heat or put it on your stove’s “warm” setting. Add in the brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go to make sure you don’t oversweeten it. Allow the wine to mull for 20-30 minutes. Serve in a mug. You can strain the spices out or ladle them into the mug along with the wine.

Remove any spices before storing leftover mulled wine in an air-tight container in the fridge. It should keep for 1-2 days.

Mulled White Wine with Apple Cider

This mulled white wine is made with apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, orange, and vanilla bean-infused vodka.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 30 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 4

Equipment

  • medium-sized saucepan

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bottle white wine (dry or semi-sweet works best)
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • zest* and juice from 1 orange
  • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
  • 3-4 whole cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 oz vanilla bean-infused vodka
  • 1-2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the ingredients except for the sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Heat on low, allowing the wine to slowly heat up. Be careful not to boil it.
  • When it starts to steam, remove from heat or put it on your stove's "warm" setting. Add in the brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go to make sure you don't oversweeten it.
  • Allow the wine to mull for 20-30 minutes.
  • Serve in a mug. You can strain the spices out or ladle them into the mug along with the wine.
  • Remove any spices before storing leftover mulled wine in an air-tight container in the fridge. It should keep for 1-2 days.

Notes

*be careful not to remove any of the pith (white part) when zesting your orange. This will make the mulled wine bitter.
Keyword brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, mulled white wine, mulled wine, orange, vanilla extract, vanilla vodka, white wine

Interested in other drinks that are perfect for fall or winter? Check these out:

gin

Ramos Gin Fizz| A Riff on the classic cocktail with Botanical Rum & Cardamom Simple Syrup

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This Ramos Gin Fizz is made with cardamom syrup in lieu of regular simple syrup and swaps the gin for botanical rum. It's a classic cocktail that takes extra time to whip up... but it's well worth it.

Today’s recipe is a variation of the infamous Ramos Gin Fizz. This version is made with botanical rum instead of gin and cardamom simple syrup for a warm, earthy touch. You can’t go wrong with the traditional recipe though. Both versions are creamy and slightly sweet. Try them both and see what you prefer!

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Here’s an unofficial disclosure: this cocktail recipe may be a little difficult to achieve, but it is well worth the effort. The Ramos Gin Fizz is known for being one of the more complicated cocktails to create. The ingredients are very accessible, which is good. A Ramos Gin Fizz just requires a LOT of shaking, special pouring, and a few extra steps. But if you made any cocktail with egg white before (like a classic Whiskey Sour, Gin Campari Sour, or a New York Sour) then you’re ready to tackle this cocktail recipe.

This Ramos Gin Fizz is made with cardamom syrup in lieu of regular simple syrup and swaps the gin for botanical rum. It's a classic cocktail that takes extra time to whip up... but it's well worth it.

The Ramos Gin Fizz has been around for more than 100 years. Yup. 132 years, to be exact. It was created by a guy named Henry Ramos in 1888 in New Orleans, Louisiana. In fact, according to the article that Gin Foundry wrote about this classic cocktail, it was originally dubbed The New Orleans Fizz. The drink was so popular that the bar hired “shaker boys” who would form a line, all taking turns to shake the cocktail shaker.

There are a few different techniques to make this drink. I tried the instructions listed on Difford’s Guide and I also tried the ones in the Gin Foundry article I listed above. They both produced good results. No shaker boys needed.

The traditional Ramos Gin Fizz calls for traditional simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water ratio) but I opted to use some cardamom simple syrup. It’s so easy to make– just through a few spoons of cardamom pods into simple syrup. If you’re unfamiliar with cardamom, it is one of the key flavors in chai tea. It’s got a warm, slightly earthy flavor that’s quite distinctive but not too overpowering.

This classic cocktail is served in a Collins glass or a highball glass in order to showcase the beautiful foam the drink is famous for. Usually, I’d say you can serve your cocktail in whatever glass suits your fancy, but I recommend following tradition here.

This Ramos Gin Fizz is made with cardamom syrup in lieu of regular simple syrup and swaps the gin for botanical rum. It's a classic cocktail that takes extra time to whip up... but it's well worth it.

The Ramos Gin Fizz may be extra work but it’s a classic that every home bartender should try shaking up at least once in their life. If you do try making one of these, tag me on Instagram!

Ingredients for a Ramos Gin Fizz

How to Make a Ramos Gin Fizz

**If you use a metal cocktail shaker** place it in the freezer to chill it or shake some ice cubes in it for a few seconds. This is done to ensure that the metal will contract and form a tight seal for when we do a “dry shake” (shaking without ice) with the ingredients. If you attempt to do a dry shake in a metal cocktail shaker without first chilling it, it’s gonna leak everywhere.

Add all of the ingredients except the club soda to a chilled cocktail shaker. Do not add ice. This is what’s called a “dry shake”. Shake vigorously for as long as you can, 45-60 seconds would be amazing. It still might leak a bit, so you may want to do this over a sink. Add ice and shake again, 45-60 seconds.

Have your empty Collins glass ready. Strain the cocktail shaker into the glass while simultaneously slowly pouring the club soda. Pour from a higher-than-usual distance for optimum foam-age. Stop when the glass is full.

Place the glass into the freezer for 1 minute. The time allows for the foam to start separating from the rest of the drink and the cold temperature helps it stiffen a bit. Take the glass out and slowly pour more club soda into the center of the foam, again from a high distance. The foam should start to rise above the glass. Stop when the foam is about an inch or two above the glass.

Serve with a straw and an optional orange slice or lemon peel.

Ramos Gin Fizz

A classic cocktail made with citrus and cream.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz gin (I used botanical rum for a twist)
  • ½ oz lemon juice
  • ½ oz lime juice
  • ¾ oz simple syrup (I used cardamom simple syrup- here's the easy recipe)
  • ¾ oz half & half or heavy cream
  • 3 drops vanilla extract
  • 3 drops orange blossom water
  • 1 egg white
  • club soda

Instructions
 

  • Add all of the ingredients except the club soda to a chilled cocktail shaker*. Do not add ice. This is what's called a "dry shake". Shake vigorously for as long as you can, 60+ seconds would be amazing. It might leak a bit, so you may want to shake over a sink.
  • Add ice and shake again, 60+ seconds. The more you shake, the denser your foam will be.
  • Have your empty Collins glass ready. Strain the cocktail shaker into the glass while simultaneously slowly pouring the club soda. Pour from a higher-than-usual distance for optimum foam-age. Stop when the glass is full.
  • Place the glass into the freezer for 1 minute. The time allows for the foam to start separating from the rest of the drink and the cold temperature helps it stiffen a bit.
  • Take the glass out and slowly pour more club soda into the center of the foam, again from a high distance. The foam should start to rise above the glass. Stop when the foam is about an inch or two above the glass.
  • Serve with a straw and an optional orange slice or lemon peel.

Notes

*If you use a metal cocktail shaker, place it in the freezer to chill it or shake some ice cubes in it for a few seconds. This is done to ensure that the metal will contract and form a tight seal for when we do a “dry shake” (shaking without ice) with the ingredients. If you attempt to do a dry shake in a metal cocktail shaker without first chilling it, it’s gonna leak everywhere.
Keyword botanical rum, club soda, cream, egg white, half and half, lemon, lemon juice, lime, lime juice, orange blossom water, ramos gin fizz, vanilla extract

vodka

Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail| A Sublime Cocktail with Lemon Basil & Black Lemon

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This Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail is an exotic drink with a clean taste; it's made with fresh lemon basil, black lemon sparkling tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This lemon basil & black lemon cocktail is perfect for lemon lovers who want to venture beyond the Lemon Drop.
This Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail is an exotic drink with a clean taste; it’s made with fresh lemon basil, black lemon sparkling tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This lemon basil & black lemon cocktail is perfect for lemon lovers who want to venture beyond the Lemon Drop.

I never win anything. Giveaways, cherry pies in cakewalks, knock-off plushies in claw machines, money from lottery tickets, free sandwiches. Nada. Statistically speaking, I’m sure most people in the world would say “me either.”

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

I don’t feel like a “lucky” person. I guess I don’t fully *believe* in Luck (maybe It knows). But when I think about my old coworker who’s won TWO cars and tens of thousands of dollars from gambling, I’ve gotta chalk it up to something. I guess it is luck and I just don’t have much of it.

But that changed a few weeks ago. I WON A GIVEAWAY. An Instagram giveaway, at that. I must’ve quadruple-checked the message when I saw it. And before you get all excited and start trying to figure out where I live, I didn’t win anything crazy.

I won a sampler of Sparkling Botanicals sparkling teas. A 12-pack y’all 🙌 I had seen these gorgeous cans sporadically in my Instagram feed and oohed and ahhed at all the flavors. Ooh and ahh is all I did though because these babies are pri-cey. I hopelessly entered the giveaway, as I often do, and went about my life until the fateful DM that ushered in my stroke of luck.

This Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail is an exotic drink with a clean taste; it's made with fresh lemon basil, black lemon sparkling tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This lemon basil & black lemon cocktail is perfect for lemon lovers who want to venture beyond the Lemon Drop.

A couple days later a friend texted me. “I went to the farmers’ market today and got some lemon basil. The guy gave me a one-pound bag– I’ll never be able to eat it by myself. Can I bring you some tomorrow?” Seriously. Get you some friends that support your cocktail creating habits. As soon as I saw the words “lemon basil”, I knew I wanted to use it in combination with the black lemon flavor of Sparkling Botanicals.

Just in case you’re wondering if you read that right, yes- it does say black lemon. I’d never heard of it before but I was intrigued. Turns out, black lemons are actually limes (usually) that have been dried. They’re soaked in a brine solution before being left to dry out in the sun. Black lemon is a common ingredient in Iranian cooking and has a distinguishable taste. If you’re intrigued, too, you can buy a bag of them on Amazon. Supposedly they’re a sublime addition to stews and soups.

This Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail is an exotic drink with a clean taste; it's made with fresh lemon basil, black lemon sparkling tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This lemon basil & black lemon cocktail is perfect for lemon lovers who want to venture beyond the Lemon Drop.

If you can’t purchase Sparkling Botanicals’ black lemon flavor, you can use lemon sparkling water instead. Instead of calling it a Black Lemon and Basil, you can just dub it a Lemon and Basil. It won’t taste the same but it’ll still be good, especially if you’re able to get your hands on some lemon basil.

Lemon basil tastes exactly what it sounds like and it smells straight-up divine. This was my first time ever having it & that’s a crying shame. I put some of these cuttings in a bottle of water to propagate and they’re just about ready to transplant into a pot. Then I can have an endless supply of lemon basil at home. Well, if I keep it alive. If you need some tips on how to grow your own basil at home, check out this great article written by Okra In My Garden.

This Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail is an exotic drink with a clean taste; it's made with fresh lemon basil, black lemon sparkling tea, lemon juice, and simple syrup. This lemon basil & black lemon cocktail is perfect for lemon lovers who want to venture beyond the Lemon Drop.

If you’re looking for other exotic drinks, check out my Golden Pothos cocktail that also calls for cardamom simple syrup and turmeric, and my Rub of the Green that utilizes matcha simple syrup and cardamom bitters.

Have you ever had a black lemon cocktail or used lemon basil in a cocktail? Let me know in a comment below!

Ingredients for a Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail

  • 1 1/2 oz vodka, or gin
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 4-6 lemon basil leaves
  • 1/2 oz cardamom simple syrup
  • 3+ oz black lemon sparkling water

How to Make a Black Lemon and Basil Cocktail

Add the liquor, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, cardamom simple syrup, and lemon basil leaves to a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle the basil, making sure to only bruise the leaves and not obliterate them. Add ice and shake well for about 20 seconds. Strain into a highball or Collins glass that’s been filled with ice. Top off the rest of the glass with the black lemon sparkling water. Garnish with additional lemon basil leaves.

Black Lemon & Basil Cocktail

This cocktail has bright notes of lemon warmed up by black lemon sparkling water and cardamom syrup. It's refreshing with a subtle complexity that'll make you want to take sip after sip.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Course Drinks
Servings 1

Equipment

  • cocktail shaker

Ingredients
  

  • 1½-2 oz vodka, or gin
  • ½ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 4-6 leaves lemon basil
  • ½ oz cardamom simple syrup*
  • 3+ oz black lemon sparkling water

Instructions
 

  • Add the liquor, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, and lemon basil leaves to a cocktail shaker.
  • Gently muddle the basil, making sure to only bruise, not obliterate them.
  • Add ice and shake well for about 20 seconds.
  • Strain into a highball or Collins glass that's been filled with ice.
  • Top off the rest of the glass with the black lemon sparkling water.
  • Garnish with additional lemon basil leaves and a lemon wheel.

Notes

*You can find the easy recipe for cardamom simple syrup here.
Keyword beet simple syrup, black lemon, gin, lemon basil, sparkling water, vodka
This cocktail has bright notes of lemon warmed up by black lemon sparkling water and cardamom syrup. It's refreshing with a subtle complexity that'll make you want to take sip after sip.
simple syrup

6 Simple Syrup Recipes to Spice Up Your Cocktails, Coffee, Tea, & Sparkling Water

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Think flavored syrups are for professional bartenders and baristas? These simple syrup recipes will up your drink game with seriously minimal effort. Simple syrups are my favorite way to add excitement to otherwise every-day drinks.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like!

Pour these in your coffee for a gourmet treat. Add a splash to your iced tea. Make an easy mocktail by adding some to sparkling water with some citrus juice. Use it in any cocktail recipe that calls for simple syrup–or make your own cocktail and use one as the sweetener. Incorporate them into baked goods. The possibilities might be limitless.

While ALL of these simple syrup recipes are easy (hence the name ‘simple’), I’m listing these by the ingredients that are easiest to find. None of them are obscure, thanks to Amazon, and you might even have them in your pantry already. (Remember those cardamom pods you bought awhile back when you were on a chai tea kick?)

All of these simple syrup recipes should last 1-2 months in the fridge. I always make small batches because I typically don’t use a ton within one month. Feel free to double the recipes. I always have a ton of flavored simple syrups in my fridge. These little glass containers are perfect for storing all your syrups and make everything look organized.

Honey Simple Syrup

Honey Simple Syrup | 7 Simple Syrup Recipes to Spice Up Your Cocktails, Coffee, Tea, & Sparkling Water

Okay. You can probably make this one TODAY. Honey simple syrup is the best way to use honey in iced drinks like iced tea and iced coffee. If you’ve tried using regular honey in the past, you’re familiar with its tendency to clump up and take forever to dissolve into your drink. You can also use honey simple syrup in margaritas, a Pick 6, any variety of jam cocktail, or in place of traditional simple syrup in a Daiquiri.

The Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup water

The How-To

Pour the honey and water into a small saucepan. Heat them up until the honey is well dissolved. Pour into your container of choice and let cool completely. Store in the fridge.

Read my original post here.

Lavender Simple Syrup

Lavender Simple Syrup

Of all the simple syrup recipes on here, this one is probably the most versatile. My favorite ways to enjoy this syrup are in lattes and in lieu of regular simple syrup in a Tom Collins cocktail (a Lavender Collins). Your extra lavender buds can be used in baked goods, too.

The Ingredients for Lavender Simple Syrup

The How-To

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil until the sugar is dissolved. Allow the syrup to cool in the saucepan before pouring it into a mason jar or small covered container. Strain out the lavender buds if desired. I personally like to leave a few of them in so they can further infuse the syrup as it sits in the fridge.

Read my original post here.

Matcha Simple Syrup

Matcha simple syrup is a great way to invigorate your iced tea, sparkling water, or a cocktail.

Oh man. This one is delicate and delightful. Not to mention it’s green, my fav color. The obvious thing to do with this simple syrup rendition is to use it in hot or iced tea for an extra boost. But I dare you to use it in a traditional cocktail like a Gimlet for an exotic layer of flavor. Or if you’re wanting a totally green cocktail, check out Rub of the Green.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 teaspoon matcha powder (it’s pricey but a little goes a long way, even if you’re using it for tea)
  • 1/4 cup sugar (you could use stevia, coconut sugar, or agave to make this much healthier, but the ratios will be different)
  • 1/4 cup water

How to Make Matcha Simple Syrup

Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the matcha powder. It will clump so whisk well. I whisked it as well as I could before pouring it into my container. Then I put the lid on and shook it again. That’s what finally got the last remaining clumpies out.

Read my original post here.

Rose Simple Syrup

Rose simple syrup | 7 Simple Syrup Recipes to Spice Up Your Cocktails, Coffee, Tea, & Sparkling Water

Perhaps not for everyone, and maybe best used in small doses, this rose simple syrup delivers a floral punch. Okay, maybe not a punch and more like a “love tap”. Anyone else tell your parents that, no, you weren’t hitting your brother–it was a love tap? Rose simple syrup is divine in chamomile tea and exquisite in a Rose Darling.

The Ingredients for Rose Simple Syrup

  • 2 Tablespoons dried rose petals (pleeease make sure you are using food grade petals)
  • 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon rosewater (this stuff is POTENT- don’t say I didn’t warn you)

How to Make Rose Simple Syrup

Boil the rose petals in the water on the stove for 1-2 minutes. You’re essentially making rose tea. There won’t be much water in the pot so be careful to make sure the petals don’t scorch. Strain the liquid and discard the petals. Pour the rose tea back into your saucepan and add the extra tablespoon of water. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and add the rosewater & stir again. Allow it to cool completely before storing it in the fridge.

Read my original post here.

Beet Simple Syrup

Beet Simple Syrup | 7 Simple Syrup Recipes to Spice Up Your Cocktails, Coffee, Tea, & Sparkling Water

Now, you could definitely chop up some beets and boil them in sugar. It would produce an especially-fresh beet syrup. However, I like going the easy route sometimes and already have beet powder on hand for naturally dyeing baked goods and for using in smoothies. Plus you’ll get an even more gorgeous pink color when using beet powder. It looks dark in the jar but when you pour into your beverage, it’s lighter.

Beet simple syrup is perfect for using when you want to sweeten a drink without making it too sweet. The earthy flavor of beets can bring balance to an otherwise too-sweet cocktail. Check out my Passionfruit Paloma with beet syrup. Mmmm.

The Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sugar (or honey!)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon beet powder

The How-To

Add all three ingredients to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Pour into a small container like a mason jar. Let it cool completely before you put the lid on and stick it in the fridge.

Read my original post here.

Cardamom Simple Syrup

Cardamom simple syrup is an effortless way to add warmth and complexity to a cocktail, coffee, or tea.

I love adding cardamom simple syrup to my coffee. It also pairs well with Earl Grey tea. It’s also a key ingredient in my Golden Pothos cocktail. Cardamom is such a unique spice that’s hard to describe. You just have to try it.

The Ingredients for Cardamom Simple Syrup

The How-To

Crush the cardamom pods with a mortar and pestle if you have one. If you don’t, you can use a bowl and the bottom of a glass. No need to obliterate the pods– just apply enough pressure to crack the pods and release the seeds. Add the crushed cardamom, water, and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring it to a light boil and leave it boiling for 3-5 minutes. Allow it to cool completely. You can either strain the pods & seeds out before pouring it into a glass container or you can store the syrup with some of the pods.

Read my original post here.

There really are countless ideas for simple syrup recipes. You could make jalapeño syrup, rosemary syrup, turmeric, chamomile syrup, etc. You could even get crazy and combine two.

What’s your favorite? I’d love to hear your simple syrup recipes down below.

Royal Rose - Organic Simple Syrup