Cinnamon Syrup
A simple syrup infused with cinnamon, adding warm, spiced sweetness without needing to muddle a cinnamon stick.
Origin
A bartender's infused simple syrup, made by steeping cinnamon sticks in hot sugar syrup, following the same basic technique as other flavored bar syrups.
History
Infused syrups have been a bartending staple since at least the 19th century as an easy way to add a specific flavor evenly through a drink, and cinnamon syrup is one of the more common seasonal versions, especially popular in fall and winter cocktail menus and mulled or hot drinks. It gives bartenders a way to add cinnamon's warmth without the sweetness spike and higher proof of a cinnamon schnapps.
Flavor profile
Warm, sweet cinnamon flavor in a pourable liquid form, milder and less candy-like than cinnamon schnapps.
Tasting notes
A gentle, genuine cinnamon warmth rather than an intense candy-like hit, blending smoothly into both cold shaken drinks and hot cocktails without adding any alcohol content of its own.
Substitutes
- Simple syrup with a pinch of ground cinnamon stirred in, as a quick approximation.
- Demerara or brown sugar syrup, for a different but complementary warm sweetness.
- A small amount of cinnamon schnapps, understanding it adds alcohol and a more candy-like intensity.
