Homemade Rosemary Simple Syrup Recipe for Cocktails & Desserts

Rosemary simple syrup blends the bright citrus notes and woodsy, mint-like aroma of fresh rosemary into a versatile sweetener for cocktails, cakes, ice cream, and both hot and cold drinks. It’s an elegant, inexpensive way to elevate your beverages and desserts with a sophisticated flavor boost.

You don’t need professional bartending skills to create signature drinks at home. Simple syrup is a common cocktail ingredient, and swapping plain syrup for rosemary-infused syrup instantly transforms many recipes.

Rosemary is one of the simplest herbs to use when you want to add a distinctive herbal note to drinks and desserts.

Before explaining how to make rosemary simple syrup, here are a few reasons to keep a jar in your fridge.

For an effortless, elegant cocktail: add a teaspoon of rosemary syrup to a shaker with 2 ounces of your favorite gin. Shake with ice, strain over fresh ice, and top with quality tonic. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a lime or lemon wheel for a memorable twist on a classic Gin & Tonic.

Rosemary syrup is not limited to cocktails. It works beautifully in non-alcoholic drinks and culinary applications too.

Use it to flavor lemonade, drizzle it over vanilla ice cream, or stir a teaspoon into hot or iced tea for a fragrant lift. It’s especially lovely brushed between the layers of lemon, spice, hummingbird, or carrot cakes—substituting this syrup for a plain soak adds a subtle, refined touch that sets your cakes apart.

Rosemary Simple Syrup Recipe

The ingredients are straightforward and likely already in your kitchen, except for the fresh rosemary sprigs. If you grow rosemary or live where it’s common in gardens, you may not need to buy anything at all.

Simple syrup is simply equal parts water and sugar. You can tailor the syrup by changing the type of sugar used.

Ingredients

1. Granulated sugar: White sugar gives a neutral base and allows the rosemary’s pale green tint to shine. You can substitute raw or demerara sugar for a slightly caramel color and deeper flavor. Brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey will impart their own strong flavors; agave is a more neutral alternative. Note: artificial sweeteners were not tested for this recipe.
2. Water
3. Fresh rosemary: Use whole sprigs, including the woodier stalks; they contribute essential flavor.

The equipment needed is minimal and common in most kitchens.

Equipment

1. Saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
2. Fine mesh strainer
3. Airtight container for storage, such as a small mason jar with a lid

A key piece of advice: always strain the syrup before storing. Leaving a sprig of fresh rosemary in the jar may look attractive, but it can introduce debris and moisture that shorten shelf life. If you’ll use the syrup within a day, storing with a sprig is fine, but for longer storage, keep it strained and add fresh rosemary to individual drinks as needed.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Place the fresh rosemary sprigs on a cutting board and bruise them gently two or three times using the bottom of a saucepan or the flat edge of a chef’s knife. Transfer the rosemary to a small saucepan and add equal parts sugar and water.

Set the saucepan over medium heat and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved completely and the liquid is clear. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes.

Once cooled, strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled. Stored in a sealed jar, the syrup will keep for up to 10 days in the refrigerator.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

Rebecca Lindamood

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 10 mins

This rosemary syrup highlights the herb’s citrusy, woodsy, mint-like fragrance and makes a graceful addition to cocktails, desserts, and teas.

Equipment

• Cutting board
• Small saucepan
• Measuring cups
• Fine mesh strainer
• Mason jar with lid (or airtight container)

Ingredients

• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water

Instructions

• Bruise the rosemary sprigs two or three times, then place them in a small saucepan with the sugar and water.
• Heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid is clear, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.
• Strain the cooled syrup into an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled. Keeps up to 10 days when tightly sealed.

Nutrition

Calories: 24 kcal
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Protein: 0 g
Fat: 0 g

Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate exact values using the ingredients you use and your preferred nutrition calculator.