Fresh Mango Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The high natural sugar content of mango makes the syrup prone to fermentation in warm conditions — keep well refrigerated. Keep refrigerated.

Ataulfo mangoes produce the smoothest, sweetest, fiber-free syrup; Tommy Atkins mangoes (the common supermarket variety) have more fiber and a milder flavor — either works, but Ataulfo is superior. Ripe mangoes that give to gentle pressure and smell strongly at the stem produce dramatically more flavorful syrup than underripe fruit. Blending the cooked mango with the syrup liquid before straining — rather than simply pressing it — extracts maximum flavor and produces a richer, more concentrated result. Frozen mango chunks, available year-round, produce excellent syrup that rivals fresh out-of-season mango.

Mango (Mangifera indica) is believed to have originated in the Indo-Burma region of South and Southeast Asia, where it has been cultivated for over four thousand years — ancient Indian texts including the Sanskrit Vedas reference the fruit, and Buddhist monks are recorded carrying mango plants on travels through Southeast Asia in the 4th and 5th centuries CE. Portuguese traders introduced mango to West Africa and Brazil in the 15th and 16th centuries, and the fruit spread throughout the tropical world to become one of the most widely consumed fruits globally. India remains the world's largest mango producer. In cocktail culture, mango is most associated with tiki and Caribbean drinks, and the Mango Margarita and Mango Daiquiri have been popular summer cocktails at mainstream bars since the 1990s. The Ataulfo (honey mango) variety, introduced commercially in the 1970s from Mexico, produces the sweetest, most fiber-free flesh and is preferred for cocktail syrups.

A mango-chili syrup, made by simmering one sliced serrano or jalapeño alongside the mango, creates the iconic Mexican chamoy-inspired sweet-heat pairing that is outstanding in margaritas and mezcal cocktails. A mango-turmeric syrup adds a warm, earthy golden character and a beautiful deep yellow color when one teaspoon of fresh turmeric is added during simmering. For a mango-ginger syrup with tropical brightness, add one tablespoon of fresh ginger juice to the finished cooled syrup.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Mango contains urushiol — the same compound found in poison ivy and poison oak — concentrated in the skin and sap; those with urushiol sensitivity should peel mango without touching the peel to bare skin. Mango flesh itself is safe for virtually all people.