Basics · Updated Oct 2026
Simple Syrup Ratios: 1:1, 2:1 and When to Use Each
The standard simple syrup ratio is 1:1 sugar to water. Rich syrup is 2:1, light is 1:2. See how weight vs volume changes the Brix, and which ratio suits what.
The standard simple syrup ratio is 1:1: one part sugar to one part water. One cup of sugar plus one cup of water makes about 1½ cups (360 ml) of syrup. Rich syrup is 2:1, for silkier cocktails and a longer shelf life. Light syrup is 1:2, for iced tea and lemonade when you want gentle sweetness.
The three ratios at a glance
| Ratio (sugar : water) | By cups | By weight | Sweetness vs 1:1 | Keeps in the fridge | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light 1:2 | ½ cup sugar + 1 cup water | 100 g + 200 ml | About 60% | About 2 weeks | Iced tea, lemonade, fruit |
| Classic 1:1 | 1 cup sugar + 1 cup water | 200 g + 200 ml | The standard | About 1 month | Shaken cocktails, coffee, baking |
| Rich 2:1 | 2 cups sugar + 1 cup water | 400 g + 200 ml | About 1½ times | About 3 months | Stirred drinks, iced coffee, long storage |
Whichever you choose, the method is the same: warm the water, stir in the sugar until it turns completely clear, then cool, bottle and refrigerate. Don't let it boil hard. Boiling drives off water and quietly pushes your syrup past the ratio you measured.
Weight vs volume
A cup of granulated sugar weighs about 200 g, but a cup of water weighs about 237 g. So a 1:1 syrup made with cups is slightly lighter than a 1:1 syrup made on a scale. Both are correct; the difference matters mainly when you follow cocktail specs.
- 1:1 by volume (cups) is about 46° Brix. This is the classic home recipe.
- 1:1 by weight (grams) is exactly 50° Brix. Many bartenders and cocktail books use this.
- 2:1 by weight is about 67° Brix. Two cups of sugar to one cup of water lands closer to 1.7:1 by weight, or about 63° Brix.
Brix is the percentage of sugar by weight: 50° Brix means 50 g of sugar in every 100 g of syrup. A refractometer reads it in seconds, but you don't need one. Just be consistent, and use a kitchen scale when you want exact, repeatable batches.
| Ratio | Measured by | Brix | Sugar per tbsp | Sugar per fl oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1:2 | Volume | About 30° | 5 g | 10 g |
| 1:2 | Weight | About 33° | 6 g | 11 g |
| 1:1 | Volume | About 46° | 8 g | 16 g |
| 1:1 | Weight | 50° | 9 g | 18 g |
| 2:1 | Volume | About 63° | 12 g | 24 g |
| 2:1 | Weight | About 67° | 13 g | 26 g |
How much sugar for simple syrup
Syrup always ends up smaller than sugar plus water combined, because dissolved sugar slips between the water molecules. Each gram of sugar adds only about 0.63 ml of volume. That's why 1 cup + 1 cup gives you 1½ cups, not 2.
| You want about | Sugar | Water |
|---|---|---|
| ¾ cup (180 ml) | ½ cup (100 g) | ½ cup (118 ml) |
| 1½ cups (360 ml) | 1 cup (200 g) | 1 cup (237 ml) |
| 3 cups (720 ml) | 2 cups (400 g) | 2 cups (473 ml) |
| 6 cups (1.45 L) | 4 cups (800 g) | 4 cups (946 ml) |
| 1 gallon (3.8 L) | 10½ cups (2.1 kg) | 10½ cups (2.5 L) |
For rich syrup, 1 cup of sugar plus ½ cup of water makes almost exactly 1 cup of syrup. For any other amount or bottle size, use the calculator below or the full syrup calculator.
of finished syrup
- Sugar
- 1 cup200 g
- Water
- 1 cup235 ml
Which ratio to use
Shaken cocktails, coffee and baking: 1:1
Classic simple syrup is the default in most recipes. It mixes instantly, measures easily and is what a recipe means when it just says "simple syrup." Sours, Mojitos, lattes and cake-soaking syrup all assume 1:1.
Stirred drinks and iced coffee: 2:1
Rich simple syrup adds sweetness with less water, so an Old Fashioned stays silky and an iced coffee doesn't taste thin. It also keeps far longer, because there is less free water for microbes. Demerara syrup is usually made rich too.
Iced tea, lemonade and fruit: 1:2
Light syrup is useful when you're pouring a lot of it, as in a pitcher of tea, or when you want sweetness you barely notice. It spoils fastest, so make small batches.
Swapping one ratio for another
You can use whatever syrup you have on hand if you adjust the amount.
- Rich instead of 1:1: use two-thirds as much. ¾ oz (22 ml) of simple syrup becomes ½ oz (15 ml) of rich.
- 1:1 instead of rich: use 1½ times as much. The drink ends up very slightly more dilute.
- 1:1 instead of light: use about 60% as much.
- Light instead of 1:1: use about 1⅔ times as much, which is fine for tea but too watery for cocktails.
classic6 min
Classic Simple Syrup
clean · neutral sweetness
classic8 min
Rich Simple Syrup (2:1)
clean · dense sweetness · silky body
classic20 min
Cold-Process Simple Syrup (No Heat)
clean · bright · neutral sweetness
FAQ
What is the ratio for simple syrup?
Simple syrup is 1 part sugar to 1 part water, usually measured by volume at home: 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Rich simple syrup is 2 parts sugar to 1 part water.
Is simple syrup 1:1 by weight or by volume?
Either works. At home, 1:1 usually means cups, which gives a syrup of about 46° Brix. Bartenders often weigh, which gives exactly 50° Brix. The difference is small enough that only cocktail specs really notice it.
What ratio of simple syrup is best for cocktails?
Use 1:1 for shaken drinks like sours and Daiquiris, and rich 2:1 for stirred drinks like the Old Fashioned. Rich syrup is about 1½ times as sweet, so use two-thirds as much.
How much syrup does 1 cup of sugar make?
One cup of sugar dissolved in one cup of water makes about 1½ cups (360 ml) of 1:1 syrup. With half a cup of water, it makes about 1 cup of rich 2:1 syrup.
What Brix is simple syrup?
1:1 simple syrup is about 46° Brix by volume and 50° Brix by weight. Rich 2:1 syrup is about 63° Brix by volume and 67° Brix by weight.
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