Classics syrup
Cold-Process Simple Syrup (No Heat)
Sugar and room-temperature water, shaken in a jar. No stove, cleanest flavor.
- 20 min total
- 11⁄3 cups330 ml
- Keeps 3 weeks
Quick answer
Yes, you can make simple syrup without heat: shake equal weights of sugar and room-temperature water in a sealed jar, rest, and shake again until no crystals remain, about 15 minutes. It tastes cleaner than cooked syrup and needs no stove.
Many bartenders prefer cold-process syrup: there are no cooked or caramelized notes, nothing evaporates so the ratio stays exact, and you can make it anywhere you have a jar.
The only trick is patience. Sugar dissolves in cold water just fine. It takes a few rounds of shaking and resting instead of a few minutes on a burner.
Tastescleanbrightneutral sweetness
The recipe
Cold-Process Simple Syrup (No Heat)
Ingredients for 11⁄3 cups330 ml
You’ll need: glass jar, kitchen scale, cane sugar, immersion blender, swing-top bottle, mini funnelglass jar, kitchen scale, cane sugar, immersion blender, swing-top bottle, mini funnel
Method
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Combine
Pour the sugar into a clean jar that's no more than two-thirds full once the water goes in, then add the water. Headspace lets the sugar tumble.
1 cup200 g superfine or granulated sugar¾ cup + 1½ tbsp200 ml room-temperature water
-
Shake hard
Seal tightly and shake vigorously for a full minute.
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Rest and repeat
Let it stand 5 minutes so the water can work on the crystals, then shake again for 30 seconds. Repeat until the bottom of the jar is clear, usually two or three rounds.
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Let it clear
It will look cloudy from tiny air bubbles. Leave it 10 minutes and it turns crystal-clear. Bottle and refrigerate.
Storage. Keeps about 3 weeks sealed in the fridge. Because nothing is boiled, a scrupulously clean jar matters even more. Discard if it turns cloudy after settling, smells sour or shows specks.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 36 kcal, 9.2 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Daiquiri
¾ oz (22 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) white rum and 1 oz (30 ml) fresh lime. Shake hard, serve up.
Full recipe and historyTom Collins
¾ oz (22 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) gin and 1 oz (30 ml) lemon; shake, pour over ice and top with soda.
Full recipe and historyMojito
¾ oz (22 ml) with 8 mint leaves, 1 oz (30 ml) lime and 2 oz (60 ml) white rum; top with soda.
Lemonade
1 part syrup, 1 part fresh lemon juice, 4 parts cold water.
Iced coffee & tea
1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) per 12 oz glass, with no gritty sugar at the bottom.
Classic drinks with No-Heat syrup
SoursClassic
Daiquiri
Jennings Cox, Daiquirí, Cuba, 1898
Collinses and fizzesClassic
French 75
Paris, 1927
SoursClassic
Gimlet
Britain, 1928
Collinses and fizzesClassic
Gin Fizz
United States, 1876
SoursClassic
Pisco Sour
Victor Vaughen Morris, Morris' Bar, Lima, 1920
Old Fashioned familyClassic
Sazerac
Sazerac Coffee House, New Orleans, 1890
Gear for this recipe
KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender (KHBV53)
Purée fruit syrups or blend orgeat right in the pot, no pouring hot liquid into a blender. Variable speed limits splatter.
Best for Fruit purées and orgeat
Ninja Professional 72 oz Countertop Blender (BL610)
Best for Orgeat and no-heat syrups
Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender
Best for Serious orgeat and fruit-syrup makers
Ball Regular Mouth 16 oz Pint Mason Jars (12-pack)
Best for Big batches and everyday storage
More gear for this recipe (4)
Escali Primo Digital Kitchen Scale (11 lb)
Best for Exact ratios, every batch
Otis Classic 16 oz Swing-Top Glass Bottles (6-pack)
Best for Storing and gifting any syrup
Norpro Stainless Steel Mini Funnels (set of 3)
Best for Filling bottles cleanly
Wholesome Organic Cane Sugar (10 lb)
Best for Classic and flavored syrups
Tips for the best batch
- Weigh it. 1:1 by weight is the bartender standard and dissolves reliably; cup measures vary with how the sugar settles.
- No superfine sugar? Pulse granulated sugar in a blender for 20–30 seconds first. Don't use powdered sugar: its cornstarch makes the syrup cloudy.
- Fastest route: blend sugar and water for 30–60 seconds, then let the foam settle for 10 minutes.
- Make sure no crystals remain. Undissolved grains act as seeds and can re-crystallize the syrup in the fridge.
Variations
Blender method
Blend for 30–60 seconds on high, rest 10 minutes to let the bubbles rise, and bottle. Done in about 12 minutes.
Cold-process rich (2:1)
Possible but slow: blend for 2 minutes, then let it stand overnight, shaking whenever you pass. Gentle heat is easier at this strength.
Fresh-fruit cold syrup
Toss sliced strawberries or citrus peels with the sugar, let them sit for an hour to draw out juice, then add the water and shake. Strain for a bright, uncooked-tasting fruit syrup.
Questions people ask
Can you make simple syrup without heating it?
Yes. Sugar dissolves in room-temperature water with enough agitation. Shake equal weights of sugar and water in a jar, rest and repeat until clear, about 15 minutes, or a minute in a blender.
Does no-heat simple syrup last as long?
Nearly. Because it's never boiled, we recommend using it within 3 weeks, versus about a month for cooked syrup. A sterilized jar makes the biggest difference.
Why is my cold-process syrup cloudy?
Usually tiny air bubbles from shaking or blending. Let it rest 10 minutes and it will clear. If it stays cloudy, there may be undissolved sugar, so shake again.
How long does sugar take to dissolve in cold water?
At 1:1, about 10–15 minutes of intermittent shaking with granulated sugar, or 5–10 minutes with superfine. A blender does it in under a minute.
Is cold-process syrup better than cooked?
Many bartenders think so: it tastes cleaner and the ratio stays exact because no water evaporates. Cooked syrup is faster and slightly longer-lasting.
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