Every good cocktail deserves a little attitude and this jalapeño simple syrup brings the perfect balance to your glass! Smooth sweetness and fresh pepper heat add a lively kick without completely lighting your taste buds on fire. It’s quick to make, endlessly versatile, and dangerously good in everything from margaritas to botanical gin cocktails. We especially love it paired with Speed Shift EnGIN, where the bright citrus and evergreen notes play beautifully against the subtle spice.
This recipe makes about 6 ounces – enough to fuel several very good decisions.
Ready in
25 min
ingredients
3
Serves
6 oz -ish
Ingredients for Jalapeño Simple Syrup
- 1/2 c water
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 c medium-sized jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
Steps for Jalapeño Simple Syrup
1
To make the Jalapeño Simple Syrup, Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves. Turn down the heat to medium-low and add in your sliced jalapeños.
2
Let the mixture come to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, allowing the peppers to wake things up a bit.
3
Remove from the heat and let the jalapeños steep in the syrup for roughly 20 minutes before straining through a fine mesh sieve into a clean glass jar or bottle.
Notes
Want a little more horsepower? Leave the jalapeño slices in longer for extra heat and pepper flavor. Twenty minutes gives you a balanced sweet-with-a-kick syrup, but there’s no shame in pushing it further if your cocktails like to live in the fast lane. I typically leave the seeds and membranes intact to bring a warm, lively spice without overpowering the drink. But if you prefer more pepper flavor and less fire – simply remove some of the seeds before simmering.
And for the brave: swap the jalapeños for serrano peppers if you’re looking to crank the heat up a few gears. Serranos deliver a sharper, bolder punch that plays especially well in margaritas and spicy gin cocktails.