Cinnamon Syrup for Cocktails: Easy Recipe, Best Ratio & Storage

Cinnamon syrup is one of those small home-bar extras that makes a familiar drink feel new. Add a measured splash to bourbon, an apple highball or an alcohol-free ginger fizz, and you get gentle warming spice without adding a shelf full of ingredients.

The simplest version needs just sugar, water and cinnamon sticks. The real trick is knowing when the cinnamon tastes right and how much syrup your drink actually needs.

Homemade cinnamon syrup recipe

Recipe details

• Active time: About 5 minutes, plus cooling
• Infusion: Start tasting after 30 minutes; allow roughly 30–90 minutes according to your cinnamon
• Difficulty: Easy
• Makes: A small batch, roughly 150–160 ml, depending on evaporation and straining
• Tools: Small saucepan, kitchen scale, fine strainer and clean bottle or jar
• Taste: Sweet, fragrant and gently spiced

Ingredients

• 100 g granulated white sugar
• 100 g water (approximately 100 ml)
• 2 medium cinnamon sticks

How to make cinnamon syrup

1. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the liquid looks clear. There is no need for a hard boil.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Gently break the cinnamon sticks into a few large pieces and add them to the warm syrup.
3. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. Taste a little with a clean spoon. If the cinnamon seems faint, steep for longer, tasting every 15–30 minutes.
4. When the spice suits you, remove the cinnamon and strain the syrup through a fine strainer.
5. Let it cool promptly, then pour into a very clean, airtight bottle or jar. Label with the date and refrigerate.

Quick tip: Start with white sugar for a clean cinnamon taste. You can use demerara sugar for a deeper, slightly caramel-like version, but it changes the flavour as well as the colour.

Cinnamon syrup ratio: 1:1 vs 2:1

The ratio describes sugar to water by weight, before you add the cinnamon. Keeping that consistent makes the syrup easier to measure in cocktails.

• 1:1 cinnamon syrup: 100 g sugar + 100 g water. Lighter and easier to pour, and the best all-round place to start.
• 2:1 cinnamon syrup: 200 g sugar + 100 g water. Richer, thicker and sweeter per millilitre, so use less when adjusting a drink.

Both versions can be infused with cinnamon sticks. A 2:1 syrup is not automatically more cinnamon-flavoured; it is mainly more concentrated in sugar. Start with about two-thirds as much rich syrup when replacing 1:1, then taste and adjust.

Want the full sugar-and-water explanation? Our simple syrup 1:1 vs 2:1 guide shows how these ratios behave in cocktails.

The Cinnamon Dial: mild, balanced or bold

You do not need three different recipes. Make the small batch above and use your taste buds to choose the finish. Cinnamon sticks vary in size, freshness and variety, so the times below are tasting checkpoints, not guaranteed strengths.

• Mild — around 30 minutes: A gentle cinnamon hint for light drinks and delicate mocktails.
• Balanced — check around 60 minutes: A more noticeable spice note that works nicely beside whiskey, rum and apple.
• Bold — check around 90 minutes: A stronger infusion for clearly spiced drinks. Stop earlier if your batch is already intense.

Taste at 30 minutes and keep checking rather than leaving the sticks in indefinitely. More cinnamon is not always better: if the syrup becomes woody or overpowering, more sugar will not put the balance back.

How much cinnamon syrup should you add to a cocktail?

Start with a little. This syrup adds both sweetness and spice, so it should usually replace some of the sweetener already in a recipe rather than being poured on top of it.

• Old Fashioned-style drinks: Try 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of 1:1 syrup first.
• Apple drinks and citrus cocktails: Try 5–10 ml, depending on how sweet the juice or mixer already is.
• Tall fizzy drinks or mocktails: Try 10 ml, then adjust after tasting.

If you make the richer 2:1 version, start with a smaller measure. A well-chilled drink and a modest first pour will tell you far more than a large, sugary guess.

3 easy drinks with cinnamon syrup

These are simple starting-point recipes for the 1:1 syrup above. They show three different moods for one little bottle: slow and spirit-forward, bright and bubbly, and alcohol-free.

1. Cinnamon Bourbon Old Fashioned

Bourbon, orange and a little cinnamon feel made for a quiet evening. Keep the syrup subtle so the whiskey still leads.

• 60 ml (2 oz) bourbon
• 5 ml (1 tsp) 1:1 cinnamon syrup
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• Ice and a strip of orange peel

Make it: Stir the bourbon, syrup and bitters with ice until properly chilled. Strain over a large fresh cube and twist the orange peel above the glass. Prefer the unspiced classic? Start with our Old Fashioned recipe for beginners.

2. Cinnamon Apple Highball

Apple and cinnamon are an easy match, but soda and lemon stop the drink from turning into liquid dessert.

• 45 ml (1.5 oz) aged rum
• 60 ml (2 oz) cloudy non-alcoholic apple juice
• 10 ml (about 1/3 oz) fresh lemon juice
• 5–10 ml (1–2 tsp) 1:1 cinnamon syrup
• 90 ml (3 oz) chilled soda water
• Ice and a thin apple slice, optional

Make it: Fill a highball glass with ice. Add rum, apple juice, lemon and 5 ml syrup. Top with chilled soda and stir gently. Taste before adding the remaining syrup. If the apple juice is already sweet or spiced, the smaller measure may be plenty.

For more easy seasonal serves, see our apple cider cocktail ideas. In this article, apple cider refers to the non-alcoholic apple drink, not hard cider.

3. Cinnamon Ginger Fizz (0%)

Ginger brings a gentle kick, lime adds brightness and cinnamon gives the drink a little warmth without making it heavy.

• 10 ml (2 tsp) 1:1 cinnamon syrup
• 20 ml (about 2/3 oz) fresh lime juice
• 90 ml (3 oz) chilled non-alcoholic ginger beer
• 60 ml (2 oz) chilled soda water
• Ice and a lime wheel, optional

Make it: Add the syrup and lime to a tall glass of ice. Pour in the ginger beer and soda, then stir once or twice. Choose a clearly labelled alcohol-free ginger beer for a zero-alcohol drink. If yours is very sweet, use less syrup next time.

How to store cinnamon syrup safely

Homemade cinnamon syrup belongs in the fridge, not on the counter. Transfer it to a very clean, airtight bottle, label it and use clean utensils whenever you pour or measure.

For a small homemade batch, aim to use it within roughly 1–2 weeks of refrigeration. This is a cautious home-use guideline, not a guarantee: cleanliness, temperature and handling affect how long syrup stays good. Even rich 2:1 syrup should not be assumed shelf-stable.

Throw it away if you notice mould, unexpected cloudiness, fizzing or an unpleasant smell. Do not taste suspicious syrup to test it. If you have made more than you will use soon, freeze some in a clean freezer-safe container and thaw it in the fridge.

Common cinnamon syrup mistakes

• Using ground cinnamon: It can leave a gritty, cloudy syrup. Whole sticks are easier to remove cleanly.
• Boiling for too long: Water evaporates and changes the sugar concentration. Warm gently just until dissolved.
• Infusing without tasting: Strong sticks can make the syrup woody. Check the flavour before deciding to steep longer.
• Swapping 2:1 for 1:1 at the same volume: Rich syrup can make a drink sweeter than intended.
• Pouring it into an already sweet drink: Replace or reduce another sweet ingredient first.
• Keeping it at room temperature: Refrigerate promptly and prepare a new small batch when needed.

Cinnamon syrup FAQ

Can I use ground cinnamon instead of cinnamon sticks?

You can flavour syrup with ground cinnamon, but it is much harder to strain out completely. Whole sticks make a clearer syrup with a smoother texture, so they are the easiest choice for cocktails.

How long should cinnamon steep in simple syrup?

Start tasting after 30 minutes, then check again every 15–30 minutes. Around 30–90 minutes is a helpful home starting range, but the right stopping point depends on the cinnamon and how pronounced you want the spice to be.

Is cinnamon syrup only for alcoholic cocktails?

Not at all. A small measure can bring warmth to an alcohol-free ginger fizz, apple soda or even cold coffee. Start with less than you think you need, especially when your mixer is already sweet.

Can I make cinnamon syrup with brown sugar?

Yes. It will taste deeper and more caramel-like than the clean white-sugar version. Keep the same sugar-to-water ratio by weight, taste during infusion and expect the finished syrup to be darker.

Does a 2:1 cinnamon syrup last longer?

A higher sugar concentration can help with keeping quality, but it does not make a homemade flavoured syrup automatically safe at room temperature. Keep it refrigerated, use clean bottles and make quantities you will finish fairly soon.

Final sip

Sugar, water, cinnamon sticks. That is all you need to give a familiar drink a cosy new direction. Make a small batch, taste it as it infuses and add it one careful teaspoon at a time.

The best part is how little effort it takes to make an ordinary pour feel like something worth sharing.