Rosemary Simple Syrup

This easy rosemary simple syrup recipe is the perfect way to add a slightly herby, rosemary flavor to any type of drink. Make the best fall or winter rosemary cocktails, lemonades or teas. It takes less than 15 minutes to make with only 3 ingredients.

Herb simple syrups, such as this thyme simple syrup or lavender syrup are simmered to infuse the herb flavor into the syrup itself. Flavored syrups let you create an endless array of unique drinks.

For more fruity syrups, try this blueberry simple syrup or peach syrup.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ways to Use
• Ingredient Notes
• How to make rosemary syrup
• Storage
• FAQ
• Variations
• Expert Tips
• More recipes like this
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• 15 minutes to make
• 3 ingredients
• Uses fresh rosemary
• Powerfully flavorful
• Can make a large batch to store
• Essential for making creative cocktails

Ways to Use

• Cocktails: You can experiment to create your own creative, rosemary cocktails, or you can follow a recipe that calls for rosemary simple syrup, such as this rosemary gimlet. When creating your own drinks, start with ½ to 1 ounce of the syrup at a time per cocktail and add in extra from there — it is very strong and you don’t need a lot.
• Lemonade: Rosemary flavored lemonade adds a tasty herby twist to lemonade, giving a fall flavor. Add 1-2 tablespoons per glass of lemonade. If you are creating your own lemonade from scratch, add slightly less sugar, as this syrup will also act as a sweetener.
• Tea: Add this syrup to either hot tea or iced tea. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons per glass of tea.

Ingredient Notes

• Rosemary: You need fresh rosemary for this recipe. It will not work with dried rosemary — there is not enough flavor to properly infuse into the syrup.
• Sugar: Typical simple syrup uses granulated sugar, but you can replace this with brown sugar. Brown sugar goes very well with rosemary to create a slightly caramel, thicker syrup which is perfect for fall cocktails.

How to make rosemary syrup

Heat the rosemary, water and sugar on a saucepan over medium to high heat, bringing to a slight simmer.

Stir occasionally, as the sugar dissolves. Continue to simmer for about 10 minutes to let the flavor fully infuse. Don’t boil the syrup. Remove the syrup from the heat, strain out the rosemary and let the syrup cool to room temperature before using it in your drinks.

Storage

• Fridge: Store all leftovers in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to several weeks.
• Freezer: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2-3 months. Let the syrup thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to use. You can also freeze the syrup in an ice cube tray to divide it into smaller portions.

FAQ

Variations

• Brown sugar: Replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar to create a slightly caramel undertone, perfect for fall cocktails.
• Add a fruit: Create a fruity flavored rosemary syrup by adding in fresh berries and straining them out afterwards.

Expert Tips

• Don’t boil the syrup. You want to maintain a gentle simmer, not a boil. Boiling the syrup can evaporate the water too quickly, making the syrup way too thick. This is especially important if you are using brown sugar instead of granulated sugar — brown sugar can make an incredibly sticky mess! See the brown sugar syrup recipe for more tips on making syrup with brown sugar.
• Let it simmer. If you’ve made regular simple syrup, you may be used to removing it from the stovetop once the sugar has dissolved. However, for the rosemary flavor to fully infuse, it’s important to keep simmering it for at least 10 minutes so the flavor is strong enough.

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