How to make Rose Syrup (Falooda Syrup) for cocktails and drinks

An easy and versatile Rose Syrup (or Vanilla Rose Syrup or Falooda Syrup) to elevate your cocktails and mocktails, to sweeten your teas and lattes, or drizzle over cakes, crepes and pancakes! This gorgeous floral syrup is made with rose water and is also used as the base for falooda (a rose syrup milkshake popular in parts of South Asia).

Use this lovely rose syrup to make delicious cocktails and other drinks!

This Rose Syrup is so versatile that it can be used as the base for so many drinks! This gorgeous floral syrup not only adds a lovely aroma, but it actually adds a subtle floral flavor as well.

You CAN make this rose syrup with rose flower petals, but you will need to find culinary-grade rose petals for this and for some this might be hard to come by. I have made this with culinary-grade rose petals before, but I’ve come to prefer making it with rose water (also known as rose water syrup, sharbat syrup or falooda syrup) instead.

Why I prefer making rose syrup with rose water instead of rose petals

• I always get consistent results with rose water. You can buy good rose water from Asian grocery stores or online. Pictured below is one of the brands that I like to use to make this rose syrup.
• On the flip side, rose petals don’t always give me the desired result depending on what’s available. I’ve tried using home grown roses (since I know they are organic), and culinary-grade rose petals purchased online. Interestingly, the roses I purchased online provided more consistent result for the strongest floral aroma.
• Using petals is also an extra step, and it requires soaking them overnight to get the most out of the petals. Rose water on the other hand is obviously less time consuming and you get a wonderfully strong floral smell and flavor.

I have also shared two slightly different rose water syrup recipes here.

One is a standard rose syrup with just rose water + sugar. I added a few petals of dried hibiscus after making the syrup to add a subtle rose-colored hue. The hibiscus is there only to add to the color, and it wasn’t steeped long enough to actually impart any noticeable flavor. So the hibiscus serves to naturally color the syrup without adding artificial coloring.

The second is a Vanilla Rose Syrup (or Falooda Syrup). I added pink food coloring to this in order to get that strong pink color that I desired. I personally like the vanilla rose syrup better as the vanilla adds to the flavor. It’s a delightful syrup with a very interesting flavor profile, and if you guys haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it! It’s a really great way to elevate any cocktail or mocktail!

But another reason why I love the vanilla rose syrup is because it’s the base for one of my absolute favorite drinks in the world – the Sri Lankan Falooda (or Sri Lankan Faluda), an addictive milkshake that’s very popular in Sri Lanka and India and other parts of South Asia. It’s like a cross between a milkshake and an ice cream sundae, where this vanilla rose syrup is mixed with milk, ice cream, jello, basil seeds and vermicelli. It’s SO freaking good! 🙂 So since I have shown you how to make this rose syrup for falooda (or the rose syrup milkshake), you can go ahead and make your own glass of falooda by following the recipe right here that I shared previously.

Sri Lankan falooda drink (rose syrup milkshake)

But whichever rose syrup that you decide to make, I guarantee that you’ll be able to create some beautiful mocktails and cocktails! It’s such a versatile syrup, and very refreshing.

Falooda cocktail (vanilla rose and white chocolate cocktail)

So what can I use this rose syrup for?

• Rose syrup is perfect for cocktails and non alcoholic drinks. Just replace the sugar syrup with this rose syrup.
• This is the best homemade rose syrup to make falooda (rose syrup milkshake).
• Use this rose syrup to sweeten lemonade for a refreshing rose lemonade!
• Sweeten your teas and lattes (without using food coloring of course).
• It’s a great base for mimosas or bellinis, for those girls’ weekend brunches and celebrations!
• Drizzle this over pancakes or crepes for an excellent brunch-for-dessert.
• Soak cake layers with this rose water syrup for delicious rose flavored cakelets.

So go ahead and elevate your drinks and desserts and snacks with this versatile, gorgeous rose syrup (or vanilla rose syrup)! I can’t wait till the weather starts warming up again so that I can use this rose water syrup to make some exotic lemonades and milkshakes! 🙂

Rose Syrup for Cocktails (Falooda Syrup)

Servings: 3 cups

Author: Dini

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Ingredients

• 2 cups of white sugar
• ½ cup water (distilled water is better)
• 1 ¼ cup rose water
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tsp madagascar bourbon vanilla or a good vanilla extract optional
• 2 - 3 dried hibiscus petals optional for a lighter pink color
• Pink coloring for a deeper pink color
• 3 tbsp corn syrup optional - to prevent crystallization of the sugar syrup, although I haven’t used this

Instructions

1. Place the white sugar, water, 1 cup of rose water and salt in a saucepan (optional - add the corn syrup if using as well).

2. Stir to combine and allow the sugar to dissolve over medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, let the syrup come to a simmer, and simmer for 5 - 7 minutes.

3. Add the remaining ¼ cup of rose water to the warm syrup and stir it in.

4. To make vanilla rose syrup (falooda syrup) - add the vanilla at this point and stir it in.

5. To color the syrup - add the hibiscus flower petals and let them steep for no more than a couple of minutes until the syrup gets a light pink color. You can steep the flowers for longer for a deeper color, but the syrup may have slight citrus notes from the hibiscus then.

6. For falooda syrup, you will need a deeper pink color. Add a few drops of dark pink food coloring to get the pink color that you desire.

7. Let the syrup cool down and store in jars or bottles. Store in a dark, cool place and use as needed.

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