Classics syrup
Demerara Syrup
Rich 2:1 syrup from raw cane sugar. Toffee depth for whiskey, rum and tiki drinks.
- 9 min total
- 12⁄3 cups + 3 tbsp440 ml
- Keeps 2 months
Quick answer
Demerara syrup is demerara sugar dissolved in water, usually rich: 2 parts sugar to 1 part water by weight. Stir 400 g demerara into 200 ml hot water until clear, cool, and refrigerate for up to 2 months.
Demerara is a lightly refined cane sugar that keeps some of its natural molasses, so the syrup tastes of toffee and dried fruit rather than plain sweetness. It's the quiet upgrade in a great Old Fashioned and the backbone of many tiki specs.
We make it rich (2:1) because that's how most bars use it: it adds body to stirred drinks without watering them down. Turbinado ('raw') sugar works identically.
Tastestoffeeraisinlight molasses
The recipe
Demerara Syrup
Ingredients for 12⁄3 cups + 3 tbsp440 ml
You’ll need: small saucepan, demerara sugar, kitchen scale, swing-top bottle, mini funnel, jiggersmall saucepan, demerara sugar, kitchen scale, swing-top bottle, mini funnel, jigger
Method
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Heat the water
Warm the water in a small saucepan over medium heat until it's steaming and just about to simmer.
¾ cup + 1½ tbsp200 ml water
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Dissolve slowly
Turn the heat to low, add the demerara and stir until every crystal is gone. The big crystals take longer than white sugar, 4 to 6 minutes. Don't let it boil.
1¾ cups400 g demerara sugar
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Cool covered
Take the pan off the heat, cover it and let the syrup cool to room temperature. A faint haze is normal. That's the molasses.
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Bottle
Funnel into a clean bottle, label with the date and refrigerate.
Storage. Keeps about 2 months sealed in the fridge. A slight haze is expected; stringy bits, fuzz, fizzing or a sour smell mean it's done. Gently rewarm the bottle if crystals form.
Per 1 tbsp (15 ml): about 52 kcal, 13.4 g sugar (estimate).
How to use it
Old Fashioned
1 barspoon (5 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) bourbon or rye and 2 dashes Angostura. Stir over a large cube; orange peel.
Full recipe and historyRum Old Fashioned
1 barspoon (5 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) aged rum and 2 dashes Angostura. Demerara's raisin notes suit dark rum.
Full recipe and historyMai Tai
¼ oz (7 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) aged rum, ¾ oz (22 ml) lime, ½ oz (15 ml) orange curaçao and ½ oz (15 ml) orgeat. Shake, pour over crushed ice.
Queen's Park Swizzle
½ oz (15 ml) with 2 oz (60 ml) demerara rum, ¾ oz (22 ml) lime and 8 mint leaves over crushed ice; swizzle, top with 4 dashes Angostura.
Full recipe and historyIrish coffee
½ oz (15 ml) with 1½ oz (45 ml) Irish whiskey and 4 oz (120 ml) hot coffee, floated with lightly whipped cream.
Full recipe and historyClassic drinks with Demerara syrup
Coffee drinksClassic
Espresso Martini
Dick Bradsell, Soho Brasserie, London, 1983
Hot drinksBrown Sugar
Hot Buttered Rum
Colonial America
Coffee drinksClassic
Irish Coffee
Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco, 1952
TikiDemerara
Jungle Bird
Jeffrey Ong, Aviary Bar, Kuala Lumpur Hilton, 1973
Old Fashioned familyRich 2:1
Old Fashioned
United States, 1880
SwizzlesClassic
Queen's Park Swizzle
Queen's Park Hotel, Port of Spain, 1920
Gear for this recipe
Tovolo King Cube Silicone Ice Molds (2-pack)
Big 2-inch cubes melt slowly, so an Old Fashioned or iced latte sweetened with your syrup doesn't water down.
Best for Stirred drinks and iced coffee
Wintersmiths Phantom Clear Ice Maker
Best for Showpiece cocktails
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
More gear for this recipe (4)
OXO SteeL Angled Measuring Jigger
Best for Measuring syrup into drinks
Norpro Stainless Steel Mini Funnels (set of 3)
Best for Filling bottles cleanly
Demerara Raw Cane Sugar (2 lb)
Best for Demerara and rich syrups
Cuisinart Chef's Classic 1.5 qt Stainless Saucepan with Lid
Best for Every stovetop syrup
Tips for the best batch
- Rich syrup is sweeter than simple: if a recipe calls for ¾ oz (22 ml) simple syrup, start with ½ oz (15 ml) demerara syrup.
- Can't find demerara? Turbinado ('Sugar in the Raw') is a near-perfect substitute. Brown sugar is not: it's white sugar with molasses added back, and it tastes flatter.
- Weigh the sugar. Demerara's coarse crystals pack unevenly, so cup measures can drift by 10% or more.
- Pulse the sugar in a blender for a few seconds first if you're in a hurry; finer crystals dissolve twice as fast.
Variations
1:1 demerara
Equal weights sugar and water for a lighter syrup to use measure-for-measure in place of simple syrup in sours and iced coffee.
Spiced demerara
Steep 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 allspice berries in the hot syrup for 20 minutes, then strain for instant tiki depth.
Rich cane blend
Mix half demerara and half white sugar for gentler molasses notes that won't overwhelm gin or light rum.
Questions people ask
What is demerara syrup?
A syrup made from demerara sugar, a minimally refined cane sugar with natural molasses. It's usually made rich (2:1) and adds toffee and caramel notes to cocktails.
Can I use turbinado or raw sugar instead of demerara?
Yes. Turbinado behaves almost identically and tastes very close. Most drinkers can't tell the difference once it's in a cocktail.
Can I use brown sugar to make demerara syrup?
You can, but it's a different syrup. Brown sugar is refined white sugar with molasses added back, so it tastes sweeter and less complex. See our brown sugar syrup for that version.
What ratio should demerara syrup be?
2:1 sugar to water by weight is the bar standard for stirred drinks. 1:1 works if you want to swap it measure-for-measure with regular simple syrup.
Why is my demerara syrup cloudy?
A light haze comes from the molasses and minerals in the sugar and is normal. Cloudiness that appears later with fuzz, strings or a sour smell is spoilage, so discard it.