Jasmine Tea Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to one month. The floral aromatics fade over two to three weeks; make small batches for the best fragrance. Keep refrigerated.

Use water at 80 to 85°C — cooler than for black tea — because jasmine tea is typically made with delicate green or white tea as its base and hot water makes it astringent. Steep for only two to three minutes; jasmine's floral aromatics extract rapidly and extended steeping produces a bitter, tannic result that obscures the delicate floral character. Jasmine pearls (hand-rolled whole-leaf tea) produce a markedly better syrup than jasmine tea bags. For the most aromatic result, add the tea to the warm sugar water after it has cooled slightly rather than at full boil.

Jasmine tea originated in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE), when producers in Fujian Province developed the technique of layering fresh jasmine flowers with dried tea leaves overnight to allow the flowers' fragrance to transfer by absorption — the flowers are then removed and the process repeated multiple times for higher grades. The resulting tea carries the fragrance of jasmine without containing the flowers themselves. The technique spread throughout southern China and became particularly associated with Cantonese tea culture, where jasmine tea (mòlì huā chá) is traditionally served during dim sum. Jasmine tea entered Western cocktail culture through the rise of Asian-inspired cocktail menus in the early 2000s, and jasmine syrup became a standard ingredient for creating floral, perfumed cocktails. The distinctive lychee and tropical floral notes of jasmine have made it particularly compatible with sake, Champagne, and lighter gin expressions.

A jasmine-lychee syrup can be made by combining the finished jasmine syrup with two tablespoons of lychee juice — the combination amplifies the tropical floral character and creates an extraordinary sparkling wine cocktail base. A jasmine-ginger variation, made by adding one teaspoon of fresh ginger juice to the finished cooled syrup, creates a bright, warming cocktail modifier excellent in gin and tequila drinks. For a jasmine-elderflower syrup that layers two floral aromatics, add a splash of commercial elderflower cordial to the finished jasmine syrup.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Contains caffeine (from the green or white tea base). Jasmine allergies are rare but documented in people with sensitivities to fragrant flowers.