Bristol Syrup Co. is a range of bartender-made cocktail syrups, produced in Bristol and stocked at Coffee King, that bridge the gap between the cocktail bar and the coffee bar. Founded in 2017 by coffee and cocktail industry veterans, the range covers everything from classic bar syrups to spiced Caribbean cordials — and every bottle works as hard behind an espresso machine as it does behind a cocktail shaker.
Coffee King now stocks eight of the most versatile bottles from the range: No.1 Simple Syrup, No.2 Rich Simple Syrup, No.3 Demerara, No.7 Orgeat, No.8 Elderflower, No.9 Falernum, No.27 Nogave® and No.28 Blackberry Shrub. This guide covers what each one tastes like, what it's for, and how to use it — whether you're running a busy café, a cocktail bar, or just want café-quality drinks at home.
Who is Bristol Syrup Co.?
Bristol Syrup Co. was launched in September 2017 as a collaboration between speciality coffee supplier Beyond the Bean and a team of award-winning Bristol bartenders. The idea was simple: bartenders spend hours making their own syrups from scratch to get consistent, authentic flavour into their cocktails — so why not do that properly, at scale, and let every bar (and café) benefit from the same quality?
Every syrup in the range is made in Bristol and designed to replicate what a skilled bartender would make by hand, with a focus on real, recognisable ingredients rather than artificial flavouring. That's exactly why the range crosses over so well into coffee: the same qualities that make a syrup good in a Whisky Sour — genuine depth, balance, and a clean finish — make it good in a latte too.
Bristol Syrup Co. range at a glance
| Syrup | Flavour profile | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| No.1 Simple Syrup 1:1 | Clean, neutral sweetness | Daiquiris, sours, iced coffee |
| No.2 Rich Simple Syrup 2:1 | Concentrated, less dilution | Mojitos, espresso martinis |
| No.3 Demerara | Rich, caramelised molasses | Whisky, aged rum, iced coffee |
| No.7 Orgeat | Almond with orange flower | Mai Tais, Tiki, almond lattes |
| No.8 Elderflower | Delicate floral, citrus lift | Hugos, espresso tonics, spritzes |
| No.9 Falernum | Spiced lime, cinnamon, clove | Rum Swizzles, spiced lattes |
| No.27 Nogave® | Honeyed, floral, citrus | Margaritas, sustainable sweetener for coffee |
| No.28 Blackberry Shrub | Rich berry, apple cider vinegar | Cocktails, mocktails, iced lattes |
No.1 Simple Syrup 1:1 — the essential bar syrup
Bristol Syrup Co. No.1 Simple Syrup is the traditional 1:1 sugar-to-water bar standard, and the syrup every bar and café needs as a baseline. It dissolves cleanly into cold drinks without the grittiness of granulated sugar, and it doesn't compete with other flavours — which is exactly the point.
Best for: Daiquiris, Whisky Sours, Gin Fizzes, and stirring straight through iced coffee, lattes or cold brew for instant, even sweetness.
Ingredients: Sugar, water.
No.2 Rich Simple Syrup 2:1 — for less dilution, more body
No.2 Rich Simple Syrup is the thicker, 2:1 version of the classic bar syrup — more concentrated sweetness per pump, and less dilution in the finished drink. It's the better choice where a bartender or barista wants bold, confident sweetness without watering things down.
Best for: Mojitos, French 75s, Espresso Martinis, and rich iced coffee serves where you want sweetness without extra liquid volume.
Ingredients: Sugar, water.
No.3 Demerara — rich, caramelised depth
No.3 Demerara Syrup is made with real Mauritian sugar, bringing caramelised molasses notes that plain sugar syrup simply can't replicate. It's built for spirit-forward drinks that need a bit more character, and it works just as well stirred into a cold brew.
Best for: Mint Juleps, Hot Buttered Rum, Grog, and adding warm, caramel-toned sweetness to lattes and cold brews.
Ingredients: Mauritian demerara sugar, water.
No.7 Orgeat — the Tiki classic with a coffee-bar second life
No.7 Orgeat is Bristol Syrup Co.'s almond syrup, brightened with a touch of orange flower water — a genuine back-bar essential for Tiki cocktails, and a more sophisticated alternative to standard almond syrup on the coffee side.
Best for: Mai Tais, Fog Cutters, and almond iced lattes, cold brews or frappés with a delicate floral edge.
Ingredients: Sugar, water, almond, natural flavouring, orange flower water.
No.8 Elderflower — Britain's favourite floral syrup
No.8 Elderflower delivers classic British floral sweetness lifted with lemon citrus and a hint of grapefruit zest. It's an alcohol-free serve superstar — just top with soda — and a genuinely distinctive addition to an espresso tonic.
Best for: Hugos, English Gardens, alcohol-free coolers, and a floral twist on espresso tonic or cold brew with citrus.
Ingredients: Sugar, water, elderflower extract (11%), citric acid, natural flavouring.
No.9 Falernum — spiced lime from Barbados
No.9 Falernum is a spiced lime cordial in the traditional Barbadian style — zingy lime balanced with warm cinnamon and aromatic clove. It's a Tiki essential that pairs beautifully with Caribbean rum, but it's also one of the more unexpected additions to a coffee menu.
Best for: Rum Swizzles, Caribbean cocktails, spiced lattes, and chai-and-steamed-milk winter warmers.
Ingredients: Sugar, water, lime juice, natural flavourings, spices (cinnamon, clove).
No.27 Nogave® — the sustainable agave alternative
No.27 Nogave® delivers the same golden, honeyed stickiness people love about agave syrup, minus the air miles and the pressure on agave plants. It's sweet and slightly floral with hints of honey and citrus — smooth enough to sit behind coffee without overpowering it.
Best for: Margaritas, and a premium, UK-made sweetener for iced lattes, cold brews and espresso tonics.
Ingredients: Sugar, water, natural flavouring, colour (plain caramel), acidity regulator (citric acid).
No.28 Blackberry Shrub — fruity depth without citrus
No.28 Blackberry Shrub pairs rich, earthy blackberry with apple cider vinegar in the traditional "shrub" style — a technique that dates back to preserving fruit in vinegar before sweetening the leftover liquid. The result is a syrup that adds sharp, fruity balance to a drink without needing citrus at all.
Best for: Gin and rum cocktails, mocktails and sparkling sodas, and a fruity, tangy twist in an iced latte or cold brew.
Ingredients: Sugar, apple cider vinegar, blackberry, water, natural flavouring.
Why Bristol Syrup Co. works behind the coffee bar, not just the cocktail bar
Every syrup in this range was designed first for cocktails, but the same qualities that make them work in a Daiquiri or a Mai Tai — real ingredients, genuine depth of flavour, clean dissolving in cold liquid — are exactly what a good barista wants from a flavoured syrup. Where standard coffee syrups can lean sweet and one-note, Bristol Syrup Co. brings actual complexity: caramelised sugar, real almond, real spice, real fruit.
For cafés already stocking Sweetbird or other coffee syrups, Bristol Syrup Co. is a natural way to build a small "signature serve" section on the menu — an espresso tonic with Elderflower, a spiced latte with Falernum, an iced coffee with Demerara — using stock that also earns its keep on cocktail night.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bristol Syrup Co.?
Bristol Syrup Co. is a UK cocktail syrup brand launched in 2017 in Bristol, created by speciality coffee supplier Beyond the Bean in partnership with award-winning Bristol bartenders. The syrups are designed to replicate the quality and authenticity of syrups bartenders traditionally made by hand.
Are Bristol Syrup Co. syrups only for cocktails?
No. While the range was developed for bartenders, every syrup also works in coffee — iced lattes, cold brew, espresso tonics and spiced lattes are common uses across the range, and several product pages specifically recommend coffee serves.
What's the difference between No.1 and No.2 Simple Syrup?
No.1 is a 1:1 sugar-to-water ratio, the traditional bar standard. No.2 is a richer 2:1 ratio, giving a thicker, more concentrated syrup with less dilution in the finished drink. Which one to use comes down to house style and how much dilution you want.
What is a "shrub" syrup?
A shrub is a syrup made with fruit and vinegar. Historically, shrubs were a way of preserving fruit by steeping it in vinegar, then sweetening the resulting liquid. The vinegar adds sharpness and balance to a drink without relying on citrus, which is what Bristol Syrup Co.'s Blackberry Shrub is designed to do.
What is Nogave®?
Nogave® is Bristol Syrup Co.'s alternative to agave syrup. It delivers a similarly sweet, honeyed, floral flavour but is made in the UK, reducing the environmental impact associated with importing agave syrup while also reducing pressure on agave plants.
Where can I buy Bristol Syrup Co. syrups in the UK?
Coffee King stocks a curated selection of eight Bristol Syrup Co. bottles — No.1 Simple Syrup, No.2 Rich Simple Syrup, No.3 Demerara, No.7 Orgeat, No.8 Elderflower, No.9 Falernum, No.27 Nogave® and No.28 Blackberry Shrub — with trade and wholesale pricing available for cafés, bars and hospitality businesses. Browse the full syrup range or get in touch about wholesale pricing.
Shop the Bristol Syrup Co. range
Whether you're building a cocktail list, adding a signature serve to your coffee menu, or just want café-quality drinks at home, the Bristol Syrup Co. range at Coffee King gives you eight genuinely versatile syrups to work with. Browse the full syrup collection or shop each bottle individually using the links above.