Simple syrup is easy, quick, and cheap to make at home for use in your cocktails and other recipes—all you need is sugar, water, a heat source, and a pan. Simple syrup can be homemade or store-bought, but for many, the goal is to get a zero-calorie simple syrup.

There are two primary methods used for making simple syrup, but your main concern should be to make or purchase a sweetener that aligns with the kind of syrup you want, be it low calorie or low-carb simple syrup. 

Flavored Simple Syrup

The most common variation of simple syrup is flavored simple syrup. It is prepared by adding an ingredient or two to the sugar-water mixture as you boil it or as it is cooling, then straining the syrup to remove the component.

Typical flavors for flavored syrups include vanilla, ginger, mint, cinnamon, and lemon. These are often used in specialty cocktails, quick lemonade, and flavored iced teas. They are also a staple in coffee shops since they are used in most flavored coffee drinks and milk steamers. Flavored simple syrups can also be used in cocktails to, compliment the flavors of whisky, vodka, or the liquor in a margarita.

Quick Lemonade

Get about eight large lemons or twelve small ones. Use an electric juicer to extract the juice. Mix three cups lemon juice, two cups simple syrup, six cups water, and one cup ice. Taste the mix, and add more sugar or lemon to your preference. 

Serve chilled with mint leaves and thinly sliced lemons as garnish. You can add eight mint leaves to the lemonade and stir them in, allowing the drink to absorb the flavor. You can also make strawberry lemonade or lemon drop cocktails.

Flavored Iced Teas

It’s easy to add a drop of simple cinnamon syrup to your morning coffee or afternoon tea. You can also create interesting herbal cocktails like a eucalyptus martini with simple eucalyptus syrup or add a botanical flavor to any drink with simple lavender syrup.

Vodka Cocktails

For this beverage, you need to have the following ingredients: two ounces of vodka, 3/4 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice, 1/2 ounce of simple syrup, and a lime wheel for garnish.

Add the vodka, lime juice, and simple syrup into a shaker with ice. Shake until well-chilled, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a lime wheel. It’s also helpful to remember that a neutral spirit like vodka can help preserve the mixture and extend a syrup’s shelf life.

Whiskey Drinks

For this kind of cocktail, you will need to have the following ingredients: one ounce of simple syrup, two ounces of fresh lemon juice, five ounces of whiskey, ice cubes, and three maraschino cherries for garnish. 

Combine the simple syrup, lemon juice, and whiskey in a shaker. Fill it with ice, then cover and shake for about thirty seconds until the shaker is frosty. Strain into martini glasses and garnish with a maraschino cherry; this drink can also be served in tumblers full of ice.

Gin Cocktails

The ingredients include; sixty milliliters of gin, thirty milliliters of lemon juice, fifteen milliliters of simple syrup, soda water, and a lemon slice to garnish. Add the gin, lemon juice, and syrup to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well chilled, then strain into a glass filled with ice, and top with soda water. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a single maraschino cherry to serve.

All these recipes will provide you with a drink that is not only sweet but low on sugar. This is one of the main reasons why so many people have turned to Skinny Mixes syrups for their low-carb sweetening options. 

Final Thoughts

Any drink is better with the right simple syrup–the key is choosing one that has something to offer in terms of taste but without excessive calories. Skinny Mixes has ideal low-carb syrups that you will love while helping you stick to your diet.