Simple Syrup Calculator
This simple syrup calculator works out exactly how much sugar and water you need for the syrup you want. Pick a 1:1, 2:1 rich, or custom ratio, enter your target yield, and get precise sugar and water amounts in grams, ounces, or cups — based on real sucrose solution density, not a rough guess.
Simple Syrup Calculator Tool
Choose a ratio, enter your target yield, then press Calculate.
Resulting Brix (Sugar Content)
Sugar Needed
Water Needed
Finished Syrup Yield
Note: Ratios richer than about 2:1 approach sugar’s solubility limit in room-temperature water — gentle heat helps it fully dissolve. Figures are estimates based on standard sucrose solution density and typical baking conversions (1 cup granulated sugar ≈ 200 g); scale results are precise but exact yield can vary slightly by brand and technique.
Making a Cocktail With This Syrup?
Once your syrup is ready, plug it into the Cocktail ABV Calculator as a mixer to see how it affects your drink’s final strength.
How to Use the Simple Syrup Calculator
Get exact sugar and water amounts for any batch size in three steps:
- Choose a ratio: Pick Simple (1:1), 3:2, Rich (2:1), or enter a custom sugar-to-water ratio by weight.
- Enter your target yield: Type how much finished syrup you want, in ml, fl oz, or cups.
- Calculate: See exact sugar and water amounts in grams, ounces, and cups, plus the resulting Brix percentage.
Understanding Your Results
Why Yield-Based Math Beats “Equal Cups”
Most simple syrup instructions tell you to combine equal parts sugar and water and heat until dissolved, without saying how much finished syrup that actually makes. Because dissolved sugar packs into the spaces between water molecules, a 1:1 batch by volume yields noticeably less than double the water you started with. This simple syrup calculator works in reverse: you tell it the finished yield you want, and it calculates the sugar and water needed to hit that target exactly, using the real density of the sugar solution rather than assuming volumes simply add together.
What Is Brix?
Brix measures the percentage of dissolved sugar by weight in a solution. A 1:1 simple syrup by weight works out to 50° Brix, while a 2:1 rich syrup is about 66.7° Brix — close to the practical limit of how much sugar room-temperature water can hold. If you’re already familiar with Brix from brewing, this is the same scale used in the Refractometer ABV Calculator and hydrometer readings.
Common Simple Syrup Ratios
| Ratio (sugar:water) | Brix | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 (Simple) | 50° | General cocktails, iced tea, lemonade |
| 3:2 | 60° | Slightly sweeter drinks, tiki cocktails |
| 2:1 (Rich) | 66.7° | Bar use — sweetens more per ounce, keeps longer, dilutes drinks less |
Need to Scale a Whole Recipe Instead?
If you’re scaling more than just the syrup for a full batch of cocktails, check the Party Drink Planner.
Frequently Asked Questions About Simple Syrup
What is the formula for simple syrup?
Simple syrup is made by dissolving sugar in water, typically in a 1:1 ratio by weight. The formula this calculator uses works backward from your target finished volume: it estimates the syrup’s density from the sugar-to-water ratio, then splits the required total mass into sugar and water so the final yield matches what you asked for, rather than just adding equal cups of sugar and water and hoping the total comes out right.
How do I make 100 ml of simple syrup?
For a standard 1:1 simple syrup, enter 100 ml as your target yield and select the 1:1 ratio; the calculator will show you the exact grams of sugar and water needed, which comes out to roughly 62 g of sugar and 62 g of water for a 1:1 ratio at 100 ml yield, since the dissolved syrup is denser than plain water.
How do I make 1 liter of simple syrup?
Enter 1000 ml as your target yield and choose your ratio. For a standard 1:1 syrup this works out to roughly 615-620 g each of sugar and water; for a 2:1 rich syrup, sugar increases to roughly 850 g against about 425 g of water, since a rich syrup is denser and holds more sugar per finished milliliter.
What is a good ratio for simple syrup?
A 1:1 ratio (equal parts sugar and water by weight) is the standard “simple syrup” most recipes call for and works well for most cocktails and drinks. A 2:1 ratio, called rich simple syrup, holds twice as much sugar for the same water and is preferred behind a bar because it sweetens more per ounce, resists dilution, and keeps noticeably longer in the fridge.
Why isn’t 1 cup sugar plus 1 cup water equal to 2 cups of syrup?
When sugar dissolves, its crystals fill the spaces between water molecules rather than simply stacking on top of the water’s volume, so the finished syrup measures less than the sum of the dry sugar and water you started with. This calculator accounts for that using standard sucrose solution density data instead of assuming volumes simply add together.
Do I need to heat simple syrup or can I make it cold?
A 1:1 ratio dissolves fully in room-temperature or cold water with enough stirring or shaking, no heat required. Richer ratios above about 2:1 approach sugar’s solubility limit in water at room temperature, so gentle heat helps the sugar fully dissolve without crystallizing back out as the syrup cools.