Vanilla Syrup

Swap regular simple syrup for vanilla syrup and suddenly everything tastes more polished. It rounds out the edges in an Espresso Martini, adds warmth to bourbon cocktails, and makes a killer vanilla old fashioned. Monin and Torani sell it by the bottle, but homemade is better and easy — split a vanilla bean into simple syrup while it’s still hot, let it cool, strain. One bean flavors a whole batch. It keeps refrigerated for about a month. Also terrific in coffee drinks, both boozy and not. A little goes a long way compared to plain simple syrup.

Last modified on October 15, 2026