# Why is bottled simple syrup so expensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050 "2017-02-28T18:21:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/1 "2017-02-28T18:21:10Z")
A liquor store near me sells 12 oz bottles of simple syrup for $6. This is a product that has only two ingredients, both of which are extremely cheap. Why is the price so high? ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/2 "2017-02-28T18:37:01Z")
Because cost has nothing to do with price. That’s the reason all sorts of things are incredibly cheap to produce and are priced much higher. In the case of simple syrup, they’re likely pricing it in the same ballpark as other coffee/cocktail ingredients like flavored syrups, etc… and that price is pretty much set where people will buy an appropriate amount at a price they can make money on. In other words, as high as they can sell it, and not lose sales to competitors. (‘what the market will bear’) That said, I think it’s wholly silly to buy simple syrup; you can make it yourself with a truly tiny amount of effort and equipment. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/3 "2017-02-28T19:24:46Z")
Can you please post a recipe for simple syrup? And while you are at it, I can’t seem to find my recipe for ice… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/4 "2017-02-28T19:30:32Z")
Funny, you don’t _look_ English. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/5 "2017-02-28T19:32:24Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Can you please post a recipe for simple syrup? And while you are at it, I can’t seem to find my recipe for ice… [How to Make Simple Syrup](http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-make-simple-syrup/) ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/6 "2017-02-28T19:48:27Z")
I usually just use the hummingbird nectar I’ve already got mixed up in the fridge. OK, that’s a 4:1 water/sugar mix instead of 1:1, but convenient is convenient… ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/7 "2017-02-28T20:10:39Z")
Tweet tweet ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/8 "2017-02-28T21:30:03Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > [How to Make Simple Syrup](http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-make-simple-syrup/) You can also use a 2:1 sugar/water ratio if you want it sweeter. (lots of classic drinks call for this ratio of syrup) ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/9 "2017-02-28T21:57:22Z")
Real Maple Syrup is the only kind, not the fake crap. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/10 "2017-02-28T22:04:49Z")
Liquor stores sell maple syrup? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/11 "2017-02-28T23:17:46Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > [How to Make Simple Syrup](http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-make-simple-syrup/) I notice that site says that your batch of simple syrup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks…what’s supposed to happen to it after that? It’s literally sugar in water…won’t it keep basically forever? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/12 "2017-02-28T23:25:18Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > [How to Make Simple Syrup](http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-make-simple-syrup/) You laugh, but I think I’ve seen the “recipe” for Simple Syrup as listing every possible ratio of sugar to water. Authoritative site cites that it’s 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 1:2, and probably others. (And you always get “that guy” who wants to do it by weight rather than volume, not that it makes much difference with sugar/water). Some call for heat, some for agitation, probably some for holy water. For such a common substance, there sure seems to be a lot of dispute over how to make it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/13 "2017-03-01T01:42:21Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > You laugh, but I think I’ve seen the “recipe” for Simple Syrup as listing every possible ratio of sugar to water. Authoritative site cites that it’s 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, 1:2, and probably others. (And you always get “that guy” who wants to do it by weight rather than volume, not that it makes much difference with sugar/water). Some call for heat, some for agitation, probably some for holy water. For such a common substance, there sure seems to be a lot of dispute over how to make it. Don’t they _all_ call for heat and some amount of agitation? Hard to get that sugar in solution just by dumping sugar in room temp tap water. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/14 "2017-03-01T02:35:00Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Don’t they _all_ call for heat and some amount of agitation? Hard to get that sugar in solution just by dumping sugar in room temp tap water. You don’t have to continuously stir though; just make sure it’s all wet, then set to boiling it, and you’ll end up with simple syrup. If you want to go for the master class version, you can add a little bit of acid to the mixture before boiling and thereby invert some of the sugar, preventing the finished syrup from recrystallizing so easily. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/15 "2017-03-01T02:40:07Z")
I use 2 cups suger to 1 cup water. Heat to boil and simmer for 4 or 5 minutes. It needs to simmer so the cane suger, which is a disaccoride breaks down into fructose and glucose. Hence the term Simple Syrup. Add a little corn syrup to help prevent crystallization. All according to Alton Brown. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/16 "2017-03-01T02:43:39Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Don’t they _all_ call for heat and some amount of agitation? Hard to get that sugar in solution just by dumping sugar in room temp tap water. For relatively low sugar ratios (say, the 1:4 ratio for hummingbird syrup), you can get by with just agitation (shake it in a bottle), although I’d take the hottest water out of the tap to speed it up. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/17 "2017-03-01T02:45:54Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#): > > Liquor stores sell maple syrup? Sure. Mrs Butterworth Devil’s Cut, single malt Aunt Jemima, Log Cabin (reposado or anejo), all great. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/18 "2017-03-01T03:29:26Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > > [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > > > Can you please post a recipe for simple syrup? And while you are at it, I can’t seem to find my recipe for ice… > > [How to Make Simple Syrup](http://thepioneerwoman.com/food-and-friends/how-to-make-simple-syrup/) [How to Make Ice](http://www.food.com/recipe/ice-cubes-420398) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/19 "2017-03-01T03:41:00Z")
Simple Syrup Do you mean Karo Syrup? You can get it for $2.50 at Walmart. Generic brand is $1.88 We buy it to make pecan pies. Karo is just sugar desolved in water. > **[Karo Light Corn Syrup with Real Vanilla, 16 Fl Oz - Walmart.com](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Karo-Light-Corn-Syrup-with-Real-Vanilla-16-Fl-Oz/10294409?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222228024911368&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=m&wl3=40886629952&wl4=aud-273067695102:pla-78817979912&wl5=9025854&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=8175035&wl11=online&wl12=10294409&wl13=&veh=sem)** > > Today Buy Karo Light Corn Syrup with Real Vanilla, 16 Fl Oz at Walmart.com [https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Light-Corn-Syrup-16-Oz/10315278?action=product\_interest&action\_type=title&beacon\_version=1.0.2&bucket\_id=irsbucketdefault&client\_guid=0b0c0fc3-0dd5-4bed-896c-b8695da1c7ae&config\_id=1332&customer\_id\_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=0b0c0fc3-0dd5-4bed-896c-b8695da1c7ae&item\_id=10315278&parent\_anchor\_item\_id=10294409&parent\_item\_id=10294409&placement\_id=irs-1332-m3&reporter=recommendations&source=new\_site&strategy=PWVUB&visitor\_id=YmzmsxRyFhR5FRz3dWyBbk](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Light-Corn-Syrup-16-Oz/10315278?action=product_interest&action_type=title&beacon_version=1.0.2&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&client_guid=0b0c0fc3-0dd5-4bed-896c-b8695da1c7ae&config_id=1332&customer_id_enc&findingMethod=p13n&guid=0b0c0fc3-0dd5-4bed-896c-b8695da1c7ae&item_id=10315278&parent_anchor_item_id=10294409&parent_item_id=10294409&placement_id=irs-1332-m3&reporter=recommendations&source=new_site&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id=YmzmsxRyFhR5FRz3dWyBbk) ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2017, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050/20 "2017-03-01T03:49:14Z")
Not really. Corn syrup, which is what Karo is, is suger made from corn starch in an industrial process. It also has vanilla flavor added. "Corn syrup. Corn syrup is a food syrup which is made from the starch of corn (called maize in some countries) and contains varying amounts of maltose and higher oligosaccharides, depending on the grade. " From the Wiki. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-bottled-simple-syrup-so-expensive/781050.md?page=2)