Habanero Simple Syrup

Bold, vibrant, and fiery, this habanero-infused simple syrup adds a tantalizing burst of sweet heat to your favorite cocktails, juices, teas, and sparkling beverages.

This habanero-infused syrup was originally created for our Sparkling Raspberry Habanero Cosmopolitan. However, once we tasted this sweet, fiery syrup, we realized just how versatile it is. While it's perfect for spicing up cocktails, it also lends a bold flair to iced tea, fruit juice, and homemade sodas, showcasing its broad range of possibilities!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• How to Make Habanero Simple Syrup
• Storage
• Ways to Use Habanero Simple Syrup
• Habanero Simple Syrup

Ingredients

• Habanero pepper: These are very hot little peppers! (see Warning below) They sit in the extra-hot zone of the Scoville scale, rated 100,000–350,000. (For reference, a poblano pepper rates a 1,000 to 1,500 SHU.) The first time we tried making this syrup, we used two habanero peppers instead of one, thinking, "We love spicy stuff!" That was a mistake: one habanero for one batch of simple syrup is more than enough.
  • You can use a milder pepper, like a jalapeño, in place of the habanero. The syrup will take on a slight tinge of the pepper's color; for example, jalapeño syrup will be slightly green.
• Sugar: Use plain white sugar.
• Water

Warning! DO NOT use more than one habanero to make the syrup. Here's why!

We made the mistake of using two habaneros to make the syrup the first time. This created two problems. Firstly, the cocktails we made with it were just too dang spicy! Secondly, and of greater significance, the capsaicin in habanero oil became aerosolized within the mixer's effervescent bubbles. As a consequence, while enjoying our drinks, we unintentionally breathed in these aerosolized particles, resulting in minor coughing and eye irritation.

We had no such issues with syrup made with only one deseeded habanero.

How to Make Habanero Simple Syrup

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil over medium heat. Slowly stir sugar into boiling water until sugar is dissolved.

Add one quartered, deseeded habanero pepper to the sugar mixture, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the syrup has noticeably thickened; about 15 minutes.

Remove the syrup from heat and let it cool for at least 30 minutes. Using a small sieve or tongs, remove peppers from syrup.

Remove peppers from syrup. Refrigerate syrup in a glass jar until ready to use.

How to Avoid "Jalapeño Eye"

Accidentally rubbing your eyes after cutting hot peppers is so common it has a name. Habaneros in your eye is no laughing matter, so even when dealing with a single pepper, it's best to take every precaution to avoid the dreaded Jalapeno Eye.

To avoid injury, handle hot peppers as little as possible, preferably while wearing water-proof gloves, and keep your hands away from your face and skin until you thoroughly wash them.

To wash any lingering hot pepper oils from your hands, rub them thoroughly with olive oil and then wash and rinse them like a surgeon with dish soap! The olive oil will encapsulate the spicy capsaicin in the pepper oils, and the dish soap will dissolve it all away.

Storage

Store simple syrup in an air-tight glass jar in the refrigerator for up to a month. Simple syrup can also be frozen.

Ways to Use Habanero Simple Syrup

This habanero-infused syrup was initially created to make our delicious Sparkling Raspberry Habanero Cosmopolitan, but it can spice up a variety of other cocktails, and works especially well in drinks featuring fruit juices.

Substitute habanero syrup for the simple syrup in one of these cocktail recipes for a fresh, spicy kick!

• Fresh Pineapple Margarita
• Classic 3-2-1 Margarita
• Pineapple Vodka Martini
• Peach Bellini
• Gin Basil Smash
• Cranberry Bourbon Sour
• Lemon Drop Martini

Alcohol-free Ideas: Add a tablespoon to a glass of lemonade or ice tea to kick things up a notch, or make your own spicy habanero soda by adding syrup to club soda or you favorite flavored sparkling water.

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