The 8 Best Flavored Syrups for Beverages in 2023 | by The Spruce Eats

Best Flavored Syrups for Beverages in 2022 — The Spruce Eats / Lecia Landis

Syrups can be used as a sweetener for all sorts of beverages. They can be used in anything from coffee and homemade sodas to your favorite cocktails or nonalcoholic mixed drinks. While once relegated to standards like chocolate and caramel for flavored lattes, syrups are now produced in a variety of creative flavors, many of which stretch the imagination and open up a new world of drinks to enjoy.

At its most basic, syrup is nothing more than sugar and water. Simple syrup is a staple for bartenders and is (as the name implies) simple to make at home. You can even add flavor, though that’s typically limited to easy infusions like fruits, herbs, and spices. These commercial syrup brands offer convenience and innovative or hard-to-duplicate flavors. They allow you to add a squirt of toasted almond mocha flavor to your morning coffee or create a guava soda without hunting down the exotic fruit. Many companies offer sugar-free options, too.

Here are the best syrups for a range of beverages to get right now.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Amoretti Premium Syrups at Amazon

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Best Flavors:

Monin Premium Syrups at Amazon

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Best Artisanal:

Sonoma Syrup Co White Ginger Simple Syrup at Amazon

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Best Dessert:

Torani Syrups Original Syrups at Amazon

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Best for Coffee and Lattes:

DaVinci Gourmet Syrups at Amazon

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Best for Cocktails:

Small Hand Foods Tonic Syrup at Amazon

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Best for Homemade Soda:

Top Hat Quinine Tonic Syrup at Amazon

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Best Sugar-Free:

Jordans Skinny Syrups Ice Cream Collection at Amazon

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In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look for
FAQs
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Amoretti Syrups. Photo Courtesy: © Shannon Graham

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Amoretti has an amazing collection of premium syrups that are perfect for any drink. The brand's dark chocolate is wonderful in coffee drinks, the caramel syrups are great in apple cocktails, and the fruit syrups make fabulous sodas. All of the syrups are designed to react well with other liquids, including milk, without curdling.

The flavor line includes many of the favorites like Amaretto, French Vanilla, and Pomegranate (a grenadine substitute). Then there are the fun flavors like Violet-Lavender, Elderberry Blossom, and Zabaione (a delicious Italian custard) and seasonal favorites like Pumpkin and Apple Pie. Sugar-free sweeteners are also available.

Amoretti's product line also includes nonalcoholic syrups designed to taste like certain liquors. This is a great way to transform a boozy drink into something more innocent. These flavors range from Tequila and Brandy to Wine Blossom, Irish Cream, and Blue Curaçao.

Price at time of publish: $59/3-pack

Low/no-calorie options available: Yes | Size: 25.4 fluid ounces | Calories per serving: 35

Amazon

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Monin is a popular brand of syrups that you’ll see quite often in coffee shops. It’s also a favorite for mixed drinks. The flavor line is immense, available all over, and always expanding. Some of the flavors are very fun, including Candy Corn, Cinnamon Bun, and Hickory Smoke.

All of the Monin syrups have a rich, true flavor and are perfect for drink experimentation. You’ll find the usual fruit and candy flavors as well as tantalizing combinations like the South Seas Blend, which includes Mango, Guava, and Ginger. Monin also has a great selection of herbal syrups like Elderflower and Lemongrass. The brand's spicy syrups are the most impressive. The Chipotle-Pineapple makes a great mojito, and the Habanero-Lime adds a nice dimension to a habanero martini.

Price at time of publish: $21

Low/no-calorie options available: Yes | Size: 1 liter | Calories per serving: 90 (flavor-dependent, so may vary)

Sonoma Syrup Co White Ginger Simple Syrup

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Just like any other drink ingredient, syrups are turning artisanal. While the smaller companies may not have the expansive flavor lineup, the quality of the syrups is top-notch. Sonoma Syrup Co. is a stand out in this arena. Produced in the wine country of Northern California, these handcrafted syrups are made with pure cane sugar, contain no artificial flavors or preservatives, and are GMO-free. They are ideal for creating high-end drinks.

Sonoma's flavor list includes favorites like Hazelnut for coffee, two types of Mint for sweet tea, and a lovely Lavender that’s amazing in lemonade. The brand's specialty is Vanilla Bean syrup. You can get the full-flavored version, enjoy just a hint of vanilla in the No. 0 Classic syrup, or go all out with the award-winning Anniversary Formula. For classic cocktail enthusiasts, Sonoma makes the coveted Orgeat Syrup, which is the key ingredient for an authentic mai tai.

Price at time of publish: $21

Low/no-calorie options available: No | Size: 12.7 fluid ounces | Calories per serving: 95 (flavor-dependent, so may vary)

Amazon

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Torani is one of the best-known names in flavored syrups, and you can find these almost anywhere. The flavor list is so long and continually evolving, which makes it hard to keep up with it.

With this brand, you’ll find all of the standard syrup flavors, from fruits to nuts, and a series of coffeehouse favorites. Where the real fun begins when you dive into the syrups designed to mimic sweet treats. From a sugar-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough syrup for milkshakes to a Tiramisu that is worthy of cold brew coffee, they’re yummy additions to a variety of drinks.

The Gingerbread, Toasted Marshmallow, and Salted Caramel syrups add sweet pizzazz to hot cocoa, and the Cheesecake and Shortbread syrups are brilliant in coffee. If you’re looking to make an effortless pumpkin spice latte come fall, there’s a spiced syrup for that, too.

Price at time of publish: $23/4-pack

Low/no-calorie options available: Yes | Size: 750 milliliters | Calories per serving: 80 (flavor-dependent, so may vary)

Amazon

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Caramel, English Toffee, and White Chocolate are among the favorites from DaVinci Gourmet Syrups. The company started in Seattle during the coffee shop boom in the late 80s, and it continues to produce excellent syrups that will enhance the flavor of well-brewed coffee.

These syrups do not contain artificial ingredients and there are sugar-free options. For an outstanding vanilla latte, it’s hard to beat DaVinci’s French Vanilla. The Irish Cream will sweeten up any coffee perfectly without the booze or cream, while the Cinnamon Syrup offers the next best option to homemade. When you’re feeling adventurous, there's also Cake Batter, Ginger, and Red Velvet syrups to sweeten up your favorite espresso drink.

Price at time of publish: $21/4-pack

Low/no-calorie options available: Yes | Size: 25.4 fluid ounces | Calories per serving: 80 (flavor-dependent, so may vary)

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Drizly

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Created by award-winning bartender Jennifer Colliau, these syrups fill the need for cocktail enthusiasts looking for the finest and often hard-to-find syrups. The syrups contain no corn syrup or artificial colors; they are simple and classic.

Small Hands Foods' product line is compact, though it includes the necessities for classic cocktails, including Orgeat and Gum (or gomme) syrups and Real Grenadine made from pomegranate (not the cherry-dyed stuff you find in the average liquor store). The Gum Syrup does not stand alone, however. The brand also produces a Pineapple and a Raspberry gum, and both are great. There’s even a Passion Fruit syrup, which is an excellent alternative to the juice required for the original hurricane cocktail.

Price at time of publish: $15

Low/no-calorie options available: No | Size: 8.5 fluid ounces | Calories per serving: 20 (flavor-dependent, so may vary)

Amazon

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Any of the fruit-flavored syrups can be used for homemade sodas. Simply add soda water such as seltzer or club soda; a good ratio is one part syrup to four or five parts soda. A soda maker will carbonate water and blend it with the syrup.

Beyond fruity sodas, Top Hat Craft Concentrates specializes in high-quality flavored concentrates. Though not brewed in the traditional way, the brand's Ginger Beer concentrate does an excellent job of replicating the spicy beverage. There’s also a zesty Grapefruit concentrate that makes an excellent Paloma.

The real find here is Top Hat East India Tonic. Made with cinchona bark, which contains quinine, tonic syrups can be dangerous to make at home. Buying it from a reputable company is necessary. This tonic is flavorful, accenting the dry profile with grapefruit peel, hops, Darjeeling tea, and chamomile, making it an ideal base for a great gin and tonic.

Price at time of publish: $50/2-pack

Low/no-calorie options available: Yes | Size: 32 fluid ounces | Calories per serving: 44 (flavor-dependent, so may vary)

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Jordans Skinny Syrups Ice Cream Collection

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Traditionally, syrups are made with sugar, so it seems odd to talk about sugar-free syrups, but they do exist. For a syrup company that avoids sugar, Jordan’s Skinny Mixes is an excellent choice.

Jordan’s started out with cocktail mixers and has developed a line of flavorful syrups as well. This is no ordinary flavor portfolio, either! Sure, there are standards like Salted Caramel, Butter Toffee, and Brown Sugar Cinnamon for coffee and hot cocoa, but what about Cotton Candy, Dragon Fruit Açai, or a Glazed Donut flavor? To add magic to your drinks, try the "Unicorn Syrup" (frosting, blue raspberry, and cotton candy) or the blue "Mermaid Syrup" (pineapple, coconut, and tropical citrus). Use your imagination and mix them into sodas, lemonades, shakes, and cocktails.

Price at time of publish: $15

Low/no-calorie options available: Yes | Size: 750 milliliters | Calories per serving: 0

Good to Know

If you are following a low-carbohydrate or low-sugar diet (diabetes, keto, etc), you will want to avoid flavored syrups (with the exception of sugar-free varieties). These syrups, though a tasty addition to many beverages, are essentially just sugar and water, so they would not be an appropriate addition to those diets. Not sure if your syrup is sugar-free or not? Check the label and/or the nutrition facts panel; if it says 0 calories and 0 grams added sugar, you’re good to go.

Final Verdict

For a syrup that will do it all—from lattes to cocktails and more—browse the selection of bottles from Amoretti Premium Syrups. For both unique and tried-and-true flavors (chipotle pineapple, anyone?), we recommend Monin Premium Syrups.

What to Look for in Flavored Syrups

Ingredient List

As with any product, you want to be aware of what you’re consuming, and the best way to do that is to read the ingredient list. Curious how it’s sweetened? The ingredient list will tell you what kind of sugar is used. Curious about any flavorings or additives? The ingredient list will tell you what types of flavors were added. Allergic or sensitive to any ingredients? The ingredient list is where you should be checking to see if a product is safe for you.

Nutrition Facts Panel

There typically isn’t a lot of nutritional information to disclose in syrups considering there are so few ingredients (and therefore nutrients), but this is a quick and easy way to check how much sugar is added and how many calories you’re consuming per serving. Keep in mind that a serving of syrup may just be one pump, so if you’re using multiple pumps of a syrup per beverage, or consuming multiple beverages with syrup per day, you’ll need to multiply that calorie count accordingly.

Instructions

Adding syrup to a drink seems pretty straightforward, but you should still take a moment to read your syrup’s label so you know how to properly use it ahead of time. You’ll want to know if a pump is required (and if so, what kind), how much syrup to use per quantity of beverage, and any particular mixing suggestions. Some brands’ syrups may be more or less potent than others, so it’s always best to do your research beforehand. And remember, you can always add more syrup, but you can’t remove it once you’ve added it to your beverage, so it’s best to start on the modest side, taste, and slowly add more, if desired.

FAQs

What is flavored syrup?

Flavored syrups are essentially just simple syrups (a fancy name for sugar dissolved into water, creating a syrup) that have added flavorings. As you can see from the wide array above, there are many different flavoring options, making these syrups useful for many different culinary applications, from coffee to alcoholic mixers.

Does flavored syrup expire?

Shelf life varies depending on the brand, as well as storage conditions, if it’s opened or unopened, and if you are using a pump. For example, Monin recommends storing products at room temperature, avoiding high humidity, sunlight, and direct heat, plus capping or covering pumps; if you follow those guidelines, the shelf life is 90-180 days. The shelf life decreases to 30-60 days if using a pump or pour spot. Torani also recommends storing products at room temperature, and they suggest using their syrup by the “Best By” date printed on the bottle, in order to “guarantee the quality and freshness by that date regardless of when the bottle is opened.” If unopened, Torani recommends a shelf life between 15-36 months depending on the particular variety. Moral of the story? Check the label on your syrup or look at the manufacturer’s website for specific recommendations.

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?

Colleen Graham is a food and beverage writer with over a decade of experience writing about cocktails, beer, and wine. She is the author of two books—Rosé Made Me Do It and Tequila: Cocktails With a Kick—and has developed countless drink recipes.

This roundup was updated by Alyssa Langer, a registered dietitian and foodie, always curious about the next food or ingredient craze and hungry to learn and try more. Having worked in cookbook publishing, CPG label data, nutrition writing, and meal kits, her diverse background and varied interests provide a unique perspective that fosters clear, well-researched, and trustworthy reviews. Her favorite syrup/drink combo? Lavender syrup in lemonade—the perfect refreshing, floral summertime drink.

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Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Food and Drug Administration. How GMOs are regulated for food and plant safety in the United States.
Food and Drug Administration. CFR-Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.
Food and Drug Administration. CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21.

The Best Flavored Syrups for Beverages in 2023

Best Overall

Amoretti Premium Syrups

Best Flavors

Monin Premium Syrups

Best Artisanal

Sonoma Syrup Co White Ginger Simple Syrup

Best Dessert

Torani Syrups Original Syrups

Best for Coffee and Lattes

DaVinci Gourmet Syrups

Best for Cocktails

Small Hand Foods Tonic Syrup

Best for Homemade Soda

Top Hat Quinine Tonic Syrup

Best Sugar-Free

Jordans Skinny Syrups Ice Cream Collection

What to Look for in Flavored Syrups

Ingredient List

Nutrition Facts Panel

Instructions

FAQs

What is flavored syrup?

Does flavored syrup expire?

Why Trust The Spruce Eats?