France’s Monin has been making flavored syrups for more than 100 years, and today we look at a quintet from the collection of well over 100 different products. Monin is widely available (including on Amazon), so you should be able to find many of the company’s products — at larger liquor stores. (We’ve also covered Monin’s grenadine and orgeat in our roundups.)

Note: None of these syrups require refrigeration after opening.

Monin Tiki Blend Syrup – A blend of passion fruit, pomegranate, and ginger — which is not distinctly “tiki” but let’s not worry about that for the moment. There’s a certain cough syrup character on the nose here, with a bold element of cherry over pomegranate. The palate is a bit more balanced, with a nice slug of ginger that tempers the big berry character. Solid with rum… but I’d prefer it in a snow cone. B [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Monin Passion Fruit Syrup – Lush, fruity, and vibrantly yellow, this is an essential hurricane component with a slightly floral, distinctly tropical character. It manages to temper its sweetness enough for lightly nutty nuances to peek through. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Monin Pineapple Syrup – More aggressive in profile than the more subdued passion fruit syrup, and quite sharp on the nose, with a distinctly candied pineapple flavor. A bit overwhelming even in small doses, I’d turn to this in small quantities in the event that pineapple juice wasn’t available. B- 

Monin Agave Organic Nectar – This organic syrup is naturally intended for margaritas, but close your eyes and you may well get the feeling that you’re tasting fresh honey. The herbal element of agave isn’t overwhelmingly present here. In its place you’ll encounter a bit of chocolate and vanilla, with a finish that leans on brown sugar notes. Use it in margarita, sure — or as you would any rich sugar syrup. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

Monin Orange Spritz Syrup – The concept with this bitter orange syrup is that you can mix it with Prosecco and soda to make a faux Aperol Spritz, without having to have any Aperol. (Or, just mix with soda to make a non-alcoholic version.) It’s not a bad simulation, with a considerable bitterness to balance the citrus note. In fact, that bitterness can overwhelm a bit at times, particularly on the finish. Tempered with something sweet and fizzy, it’s surprisingly approachable; add a touch of sugar if you’re just using soda. B [BUY IT NOW FROM AMAZON]

each about $15 per 1 liter bottle / monin.com

Monin Orange Spritz Syrup

$15

8

Rating

8.0/10

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