Monin syrup – a guide to coffee, cocktails and your Christmas menu

Monin syrup can do much more than sweeten a latte. It can add flavour to cocktails, mocktails, lemonade and hot chocolate. The challenge is often not finding an exciting flavour, but choosing a few bottles you will actually use.

Start with what you want to serve. Vanilla and caramel work well in coffee, while fruity and spicy profiles offer other possibilities in drinks. Browse our Monin syrup range and use this guide to choose according to your menu.

Which Monin syrup should you choose?

• For coffee: Start with vanilla, caramel or hazelnut.

• For cocktails: Choose a flavour to suit the recipe, such as passion fruit, elderflower or ginger.

• For mocktails: Combine a flavoured syrup with fresh citrus, juice, tea or sparkling water.

• For lemonade and soft drinks: Fruity flavours such as strawberry and peach are good directions to explore.

These flavours are examples, not a stock guarantee. Check the specific variety in the range before planning your purchases. Four well-chosen bottles can be more useful than twenty with no clear place on the menu.

Monin syrup for coffee

Vanilla, caramel and hazelnut

Vanilla is versatile in lattes, iced coffee and hot chocolate. Caramel creates a more dessert-like drink, while hazelnut can bring out coffee’s roasted, nutty notes.

Choose one flavour first and try it with your own coffee and milk. The same syrup can taste different with a light espresso, a dark-roasted coffee and a plant-based drink.

How much syrup should you add to coffee?

Start with around 1 cl for a small milky coffee and adjust to taste. For a larger latte, try 1.5–2 cl, but cup size and flavour intensity matter more than a fixed figure.

If you use several syrups or a sweet topping, consider the total sweetness. A full dose of every flavour quickly becomes too much. Pump output varies; measure it rather than assuming one pump always delivers the same amount.

Monin syrup for Christmas – build a small seasonal menu

Christmas coffee does not have to mean a new stockroom. Vanilla, caramel and hazelnut can be used all year, while spicy profiles can add a clear seasonal flavour. Check which varieties are available and choose a few with multiple uses.

Vanilla-caramel latte

For one large cup: mix 0.5 cl vanilla syrup and 0.5 cl caramel syrup with a double espresso, around 4 cl. Add around 18 cl warm, foamed milk. Taste before increasing the syrup.

Hazelnut coffee for dark evenings

Start with 1 cl hazelnut syrup in a double espresso and add around 18 cl warm milk. If you also want to use chocolate, reduce other sweeteners and follow the chocolate product’s instructions.

A flavour name alone does not tell you which allergens a product contains. Always check the specific ingredient list, including milk, plant-based drinks and toppings.

One seasonal flavour, several drinks

Try a spicy flavour in both lattes and hot chocolate. Set a standard recipe for each drink so the dosage does not vary from shift to shift.

Read the full guide to coffee syrups for Christmas for more flavour ideas and advice on a manageable Christmas menu.

Monin syrup for cocktails

Syrup adds both flavour and sweetness. When you add a flavoured syrup, you will therefore often need to reduce the plain sugar syrup in the recipe.

Passion fruit suits tropical drinks, elderflower works in fresh highballs and spritzes, and ginger can add a spicy direction. The right dose depends on the spirit, citrus and other ingredients.

Measure with a jigger and make one test drink before scaling up a recipe. More syrup does not necessarily mean better balance.

Syrup in an Espresso Martini

Vanilla or caramel can provide a variation. Start with a small amount and reduce or leave out other sugar syrup, as coffee liqueur also contributes sweetness.

Mocktails, lemonade and soft drinks

A good alcohol-free drink needs more than sweetness. Fresh lemon or lime adds acidity, while tea, citrus and herbs can bring more layers of flavour.

Simple syrup soda

For one glass:

• 1.5 cl flavoured syrup

• 15 cl chilled sparkling water

• Optional: 0.5–1 cl fresh lemon or lime juice

• Ice

Add ice and syrup to a highball glass, pour in the sparkling water and stir gently. Adjust with citrus to taste. Adapt the quantity to the specific syrup; intense flavours may need less.

Monin syrup or purée?

Syrup is thinner and dissolves easily. Purée usually adds more body and fruit texture, but it may also be sweetened. It is therefore not automatically less sweet than syrup.

For a cocktail where fruit texture should stand out, Monin purée may be useful. For lemonade or a light highball, syrup can be more practical.

In a Pornstar Martini, the choice makes a big difference: replacing purée with syrup changes both texture and sweetness. Adjust the whole recipe, not just one ingredient.

What about sugar-free syrup?

Sugar-free varieties may be an option when you want a different sugar profile. The flavour and dosage are not necessarily the same as in the standard version.

Read the label on the specific bottle. A drink does not automatically become sugar-free because the syrup is; milk, juice, liqueur and toppings may still contain sugar.

Choosing a range for your café or bar

Start with the drinks that sell and add one seasonal flavour at a time. Note the dosage in every recipe and use the same bottles across several drinks where it makes sense.

For coffee, a small selection of classic flavours may be enough. For cocktails, each bottle should have a specific role on the drinks list. This makes purchasing, training and stock management more straightforward.

Storing Monin syrup

Follow the instructions on each bottle, including after opening. Syrups, purées and other product ranges may have different requirements.

Keep the bottle neck and pump clean and avoid introducing water or other ingredients into the bottle. In professional use, opening, labelling and storage must follow your food safety procedures.

Monin syrup FAQ

Which Monin syrup is best for coffee?

Vanilla, caramel and hazelnut are versatile starting points. Choose according to the coffee’s character and taste with the milk or plant-based drink you use.

How much Monin syrup should I use?

Try around 1 cl in a small milky coffee or 1.5 cl in a soda with 15 cl sparkling water. These are starting points; taste and adjust to the product and serving.

Can Monin syrup be used in hot drinks?

Many varieties are used in coffee and hot chocolate. Check the recommended use for the specific variety, particularly when combining it with milk.

Which flavours suit Christmas?

Vanilla, caramel, hazelnut and spicy profiles are useful directions. See our guide to coffee syrups for Christmas and choose according to the current range.

Are Monin syrup and purée the same thing?

No. Syrup is thinner, while purée gives more body and fruit texture. Both may be sweetened, so you cannot automatically substitute them in equal quantities.