Almond Syrup

Almond syrup was an emulsion of sweet and bitter almonds. Nowadays you can find it at any supermarket. The most common brand is Torani and an easy recipe if you want to make it is:

Homemade Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar (brown, or white or half and half)
• 1/2 cup Water
• Almond Extract

Preparation:

In a saucepan combine sugar and water, stir until sugar is dissolved to prevent scorching, and bring to a rolling boil (20 min approx.). Remove from heat, cool slightly and stir in almond extract to desired strength, starting with 1/2 tsp. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for one week and use it with your cocktails when it is required.

Blue Curaçao Syrup

Blue Curaçao Syrup is a syrup modeled after the orange flavored liqueur, this syrup has a sweet, orange flavor. 

Common brands: Da Vinci, Torani.

Cane Syrup

Cane Syrup is made from sugar cane, it is a thick, extremely sweet syrup used in many tropical cocktails and is available in shops.

Brand: Steen's

Caramel Topping

Homemade recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup dark Karo syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

Combine sugar and syrup. Cook until soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Put over your ice cream, popcorn, apples or use as a fondue.

It can also be found at the markets. E.g. Smucker's

Cherry Syrup

Cherry Syrup is a sweet, red cherry flavored syrup. This is not the same as the juice from the Maraschino cherries jar since it has a different flavor.

Common brand: Monin

Homemade Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (14 ounce) can cherries
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Preparation:

Combine cherries, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in almond extract. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for one week and use it with your cocktails when it is required.

Chocolate Syrup

Chocolate Syrup is a type of syrup made of unsweetened cocoa powder, corn syrup, sugar and flavorings. It is available in every market around the world and the most famous is Hershey's.

Coconut Syrup

Coconut Syrup is a sweet, coconut flavored syrup. It is also available in the market e.g. Torani

Homemade Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar (brown, or white or half and half)
• 1/2 cup Water
• Coconut Extract

Preparation:

In a saucepan combine sugar and water, stir until sugar is dissolved to prevent scorching, and bring to a rolling boil (20 min approx.). Remove from heat, cool slightly and stir in coconut extract to desired strength, starting with 1/2 tsp. Store in a closed container in the refrigerator for one week and use it with your cocktails when it is required.

Corn Syrup

Corn syrup is a thick, sweet and highly refined liquid made by treatin cornstarch with acids and enzymes. Corn syrups are available light and dark, light syrups are clear, and dark syrups have an amber color with subtle taste. Corn Syrup is available in all markets in the world.

Popular brands: Aunt Jemima, Karo.

Currant Syrup

Currant syrup is a sweet, flavored syrup. It is available in the market but here there is a recipe to make it at home:

Ingredients:

• 3 lb Currants; white or red
• 1 lb Raspberries
• 1 lb Cherries, sour
• Sugar

Preparation:

Mash the fruits together and let them stand in a warm place for a day. Strain the juice into a glass or non reactive pan and add 4 cups of sugar to each 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Place over low heat or inside a pan partly filled with simmering water and stir to dissolve sugar. Cool syrup and skim it. Pour it into bottles and cork them tightly. It can be refrigerated for about a month but must be used within two weeks after a bottle is opened.

Falernum

Falernum is a syrup used in tropical and Caribbean drinks. It is made of almond, ginger, cloves, lime and vanilla or allspice. It is similar to orgeat syrup. It can be alcoholic (basis on wine) or non-alcoholic.

Ginger Syrup

Ginger Syrup is made from ginger, it is a spicy and tasty syrup that goes with cocktails and also nourish the entire digestive system. There is ginger syrup available in many brands such as: Monin, Torani, etc.

Homemade Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces fresh ginger
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Preparation:

Combine the water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Slice the ginger root into thin pieces (no need to peel) and add to the sugar syrup. Over low heat, simmer the ginger root for 35 to 45 minutes, uncovered. When the syrup has reduced to about 3/4 cup, remove from heat and strain. Discard the ginger. Store in a clean glass jar with a tight lid in the refrigerator. The Ginger Syrup will keep under refrigeration for up to 6 months.

Grenadine Syrup

Grenadine Syrup is the most popular type of syrup in the making cocktails world, it is a dark red syrup made from pomegranates. Not only for sweetening, grenadine syrup is used to give cocktails a red color.  Grenadine is available in bottles in all kind of brands. The most popular are: Rose's Grenadine, Bardinet,  Giroux, Mari Clair, etc. You can also make your own:

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 pounds pomegranates
• 1 pint water
• Sugar, see preparation
• Red food coloring, optional

Preparation:

Separate pomegranate seeds from membranes and skin. In a heavy saucepan cover pomegranate seeds with 1 pint water and simmer, stirring until juice sacs release their juice, about 5 minutes.  Pour through a cheesecloth layered sieve into a bowl, pressing the juice from the seeds. Discard seeds. Measure the strained juice and add an equal amount of sugar. Pour into saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature and add food coloring if using. Pour into a bottle and cork.

Hazelnut Syrup

Hazelnut syrup is an Italian speciality that can be found at any supermarket. Most common brand is Torani.

Honey

Honey is a world known sweetener produced by honey bees, and derived from the nectar of flowers.

This sweet and viscous fluid comes in different types, the most commercially available is Blended Honey which is a mixture of two or more honeys produced from different floral sources, colors, flavors, and densities.

Acacia Honey

This honey is always clear, with a mild delicate flavor, it comes from the Danube basin where beekeepers take their hives to the vast forests of Acacia trees when in blossom during the spring.

Khus Syrup

Khus Syrup is prepared by distilling the juice extracted from the roots of the khus plant. It is dark green in color and used commonly in the preparation of drinks. It is available at any Indian grocery store.

Litchi Syrup

Litchi Syrup is made from Litchi, a chinese tropical fruit. It has a yellow blush and imparts great flavor and color to many popular drinks such as Litchi Martini. Litchi or Lychee syrup is available in the market.

Maple Syrup

Maple Syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of maple trees. It is used to sweeten pancakes, waffles, ice creams, bakery and cocktails. Maple syrup can be found at any groceries market.

Orgeat Syrup

Orgeat is a word that derives from the Latin “hordeata” that means made with barley, however this is a  syrup made from a blend of almonds, sugar and orange flower water. It has a pronounced almond taste and is used to flavor many cocktails such as Mai Tai.

Papaya Syrup

Papaya Syrup is made from papaya fruit. It is available in many markets if not then this is a recipe you may try:

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe papaya--peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 -inch dice
• 3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 dried red chiles
• 6 black peppercorns
• 2 allspice berries
• 3 inches of cinnamon stick
• 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Preparation:

In a medium saucepan, combine the papaya, pineapple juice, water, sugar, lime juice, chiles, peppercorns, allspice, cinnamon stick, fennel and coriander; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the papaya just begins to fall apart, about 20 minutes. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve, pressing on the papaya to puree it. Return the puree to the saucepan and add the cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, then cook over moderate heat until thick, about 5 minutes. The syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Raspberry Syrup

Raspberry Syrup is made from raspberries, sugar and other ingredients. It is easy to find it at any grocery stores in brands such as: Torani, Pioneer Valley, Fox's u-bet, etx.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup

Preparation:

Puree raspberries in food processor or blender and strain to remove seeds. Measure and add enough water to equal 1 cup. Combine puree/juice with all other ingredients and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for exactly one minute, counting the time after the mixture comes to a rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Skim foam. Store in refrigerator.

Roses Syrup

Roses Syrup can be used with ice cream or kulfi as a dessert topping or to flavour milk shakes. In the Middle East this syrup is diluted with fizzy water and lots of ice to create a refreshing drink. It can also be used to flavour many alcoholic drinks such as vodka or gin with the deliciously romantic flavour and aroma of roses.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup rose water

Preparation:

Bring water and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the lime juice and rose water and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool. Pour the syrup into a clean, dry bottle; cork tightly.

Sorghum Syrup

Sorghum Syrup is produced in the same manner as cane syrup, but sorghum cane, rather than sugar cane, is used. Sorghum tends to have a thinner, slightly sourer taste than cane syrup.

Sour Mix

Sour Mix, also known as Sweet and Sour mix or Bar mix, is a mixer made of lemon or lime juice and sugar syrup. It is an important part of many cocktails. It is availabe at the market in brands such as: Ocean Spray, Baja Bob's, etc. Otherwise you can make your own:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 cups Water
• 2 cups Lemon Juice

Preparation:

Combine sugar and water until sugar is dissolved, add lemon juice and refrigerate. Optionally you can add a little egg white as a foaming agent.

Strawberry Syrup

Strawberry Syrup, made of strawberries, and sugar is available in every grocery store. Brands: Grace, Torani, Hershey's, etc. This is a recipe for making it at home:

Ingredients:

• 1 pint Strawberries, hulled, halved, mashed slightly
• 1 cup Sugar
• 3/4 cup Light Corn Syrup

Preparation:

Place strawberries in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until strawberries come to a full boil for about 8 min. Line strainer with cheesecloth; place over large bowl. Pour hot strawberries into strainer mashing with back of a spoon to extract juice; discard pulp. Return juice to pan. Add sugar and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until mixture comes to a full boil (9 to 10 min). Boil 1 minute. Skim foam from top with a large metal spoon. Store refrigerated.

Sugar Syrup

Sugar Syrup is also called Simple Syrup, Gomme Syrup and Sirop de Gomme. It is a solution of sugar and water that is cooked over low heat until clear, then boiled for a minute or so. Depending on the density needed, sugar syrup may be of three types:

1. Thin: 3 parts water to 1 part sugar
2. Medium: 2 parts water to 1 part sugar
3. Thick: equal parts water and sugar

This is a recipe for a thick sugar syrup, which is ideal to sweeten any kind of drinks:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar

Preparation:

Heat sugar and water together in a saucepan, until sugar dissolves. Stirring, bring to a boil and let boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Store syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator.

This is my favorite recipe for a flavored light sugar syrup:

Ingredients:

• 10 oz Sugar
• 1/4 liter Water
• 1/4 Lemon wedge
• 2 Cinnamon sticks

Preparation:

Boil water in a saucepan, add lemon wedge and cinnamon, simmer for 2 minutes. Discard lemon and cinnamon and add sugar in. On low heat stir the sugar until it gets dissolved. Cook for 20 minutes, brushing the side walls of the pan in order to avoid cristalization.  Put it out of the fire and cool. Pour the syrup in bottles and cork them tightly.

Vimto Syrup

Vimto syrup is made from the juice of grapes, raspberries and blackcurrants.