Name: Homegrown Mint Simple Syrup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: About 1.5 cups
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 cup water; 1 cup fresh mint leaves and tender stems (loosely packed); Pinch of salt (optional)

The recipe

Mint Simple Syrup

This is the gateway recipe for anyone growing mint — the first thing you should make when the plant outpaces what you can use fresh. It takes 20 minutes, keeps for three weeks in the fridge, and becomes the base for everything from a Garden Mojito to a Sparkling Mint Limeade. For growing and harvest advice, see the full Mint Guide.

Step 01

Combine sugar and water

Add 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water to a small saucepan. Set over medium heat. Stir with a spoon until the sugar is fully dissolved — about 3 to 4 minutes. The syrup should be clear, not cloudy.

Don't let it boil. A simmer is enough to dissolve the sugar and a boil will start to caramelize it, changing the flavour.

Step 02

Remove from heat and add mint

Take the pan off the heat. Add 1 cup of loosely packed fresh mint — leaves and tender stems. Press the mint down gently with a spoon to submerge it. Cover the pan with a lid.

Harvest your mint the morning you make this, when the essential oils are most concentrated. The fresher the mint, the brighter the syrup.

Step 03

Steep for 15 minutes

Let the mint steep in the covered pan for 15 minutes. Don't rush it and don't go longer than 20 minutes — extended steeping pulls bitter compounds from the stems. The syrup should turn a light golden-green.

Taste at 10 minutes and again at 15. You're looking for a clear mint flavour — bright and clean, not harsh or medicinal.

Step 04

Strain and cool

Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean jar or measuring cup. Press the spent mint gently with a spoon to extract all the syrup. Discard the leaves. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before sealing the jar.

Step 05

Refrigerate

Seal the jar and refrigerate. The syrup keeps for up to 3 weeks. It may develop a slight green tinge over time — that's normal and doesn't affect quality.

Garden note

Spearmint gives you the brightest, cleanest result and is what this recipe is built around. Mojito mint (a spearmint cultivar) works equally well with slightly rounder flavour. Peppermint produces a more intense, slightly medicinal syrup that's better suited to dessert applications than cocktails. See the Mint Guide's variety section for a full breakdown.

Make it your own

Variations

The base recipe is versatile on its own. These variations build on it without changing the method — just add the extra ingredient at the same time as the mint and steep together.

Mint & Lime Leaf

Add 4 to 5 fresh lime leaves with the mint. The result is citrusy and aromatic — exceptional in mojitos and tropical drinks. Works beautifully in sparkling water.

Mint & Cucumber

Add 6 thin slices of fresh cucumber to the steep. Cooling, subtle, and perfect for summer drinks — gin and tonics, vodka sodas, and anything you'd otherwise garnish with cucumber.

Spicy Mint

Add 2 to 3 thin slices of fresh jalapeño. Taste every few minutes and pull the pepper when the heat is where you want it — the mint stays, the jalapeño comes out early.

Mint & Ginger

Add 4 to 5 thin slices of fresh ginger with the mint. Warming and bright — particularly good in mule-style drinks, hot toddies, and non-alcoholic ginger sodas.

Rich Mint Syrup

Use 2 cups of sugar to 1 cup of water (2:1 ratio). Thicker, sweeter, and more concentrated — use half the amount you'd use of a standard syrup. Longer shelf life too.

Honey Mint

Replace the granulated sugar with raw honey. The result is more complex and floral — particularly good with bourbon and rye. Dissolve the honey over very low heat; don't simmer.

Bar pantry

How to Use Mint Syrup

This syrup replaces simple syrup in nearly any recipe that wants a mint note — and it belongs in a lot of drinks where you wouldn't normally think to muddle. Here's where it earns its keep.

🥃

Classic Mojito

No muddling required. Use ¾ oz syrup in place of muddled mint and simple syrup. You get a cleaner, more consistent drink with less effort. Full recipe on the Garden Mojito page.

¾ oz per serving

🌿

Sparkling Mint Limeade

Combine ¾ oz syrup with ¾ oz fresh lime juice, top with 4 oz sparkling water. Garnish with a mint sprig. One of the best alcohol-free drinks on this site. Full recipe: Sparkling Mint Limeade.

¾ oz per serving

🍵

Iced Tea & Lemonade

Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons into a glass of iced tea or lemonade. No muddling, no floating leaves, no mess. Better than the mint tea you'd make from scratch.

1–2 Tbsp per glass

🍋

Mint Julep

Combine 2 oz bourbon, ¾ oz mint syrup, and a splash of water over a glass packed with crushed ice. Garnish with a large bunch of fresh mint. The syrup method is cleaner than traditional muddling.

¾ oz per serving

Keep it fresh

Storage

Mint syrup keeps well if stored properly. Here's how to get the most out of every batch.

Fridge

Up to 3 weeks

Store in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. A clean jar with a tight lid makes the difference — any trace of contamination from a dirty jar or double-dipping a spoon will shorten the shelf life significantly. Label with the date you made it.

Freezer

Up to 6 months

Pour into an ice cube tray and freeze solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. Each standard ice cube is roughly 1 oz — pull one out and let it thaw in your shaker tin or mixing glass. This is the best way to preserve a glut of garden mint for winter use. See also: How to Harvest & Preserve Mint.

Signs

When to discard

Discard the syrup if it smells off, develops cloudiness that wasn't there originally, or shows any signs of mould. A slight colour shift from pale green to straw-yellow is normal and not a problem.

What to make next

Drink Ideas Using This Syrup

Once the jar is in the fridge, here's where to take it. Each of these recipes works with the base mint syrup or any of the variations above.

Cocktail

Garden Mojito

Rum, mint syrup, lime, and soda. Built around this syrup — no muddling required. The cleanest mojito you'll make.

Mocktail

Sparkling Mint Limeade

Mint syrup, fresh lime, sparkling water, and a handful of ice. One of the best things to come out of the garden all summer.

Growing guide

The Mint Guide

Everything about growing, harvesting, and using mint from the garden — from variety selection to preserving your harvest.

Mint Simple Syrup

Combine sugar and water

Remove from heat and add mint

Steep for 15 minutes

Strain and cool

Refrigerate

Variations

How to Use Mint Syrup

Storage

Up to 3 weeks

Up to 6 months

When to discard

Drink Ideas Using This Syrup

Recipes in your inbox, in season.