The 10 Best Almond Orgeat Syrups For Cocktails
The almond syrup known as Orgeat is one of those ingredients where if the recipe is done right, it’s awesome. For taste buds that wish to take an ordinary sugary cocktail to become something a bit more special, using a good almond orgeat mix may be just the ticket to pull that off. The nutty flavor that adds more drama to the drink is typically referred to as an orgeat. This is a syrupy ingredient that can be made from scratch, but it needs lots of almonds, sugar, and patience. For fans of almond orgeat or the adventurous that simply want to satisfy their curiosity, buying quality commercial versions will do just as good. In some cases, perhaps even better. Not all brands of almond orgeat are created equal as each producer of the product has their own idea of what works best. Among the best, the one common denominator is the quality of the almond, as well as that artisanal touch that elevates the ho-hum of ordinary to the ooh-la-la extraordinary. If you like a good Mai Tai, consider any of the ten almond orgeats in the list. If you care to experiment, this list has the best candidates to at least give it the old college try.
10. Trader Vic’s Orgeat Almond Syrup
The amount of almond flavoring is decent and has corn syrup in the product, mixed with natural flavors. Ideally, the almond orgeat needs to be somewhere between partially transparent to translucent. Less opaque than most, Trader Vic’s orgeat almond syrup is on the sweet candied side, which works for that rich, sweet taste some Mai Tai fans favor.
9. Fee Brothers Orgeat Almond Cordial Cocktail Syrup
Out of Rochester, New York, the Fee Brothers bring forth one of the favorite almond orgeat cocktail syrup products on the consumer market. Often found among the more prestigious bars, clubs, and restaurants, it’s not uncommon to see bottles of product, including the almond orgeat, proudly displayed on the shelving behind the bartenders. Family run since 1864, the Fee Brothers has become one of the few businesses to see a company run into its fifth generation of owners and operators of what has become one of the elite producers of quality products.
8. Monin Almond Syrup
One nice feature about Monin’s products is the preference to stay away from BPA bottling practices. There’s also a hint of lemon found in the almond orgeat recipe Monin uses, in addition to using real almonds and cane sugar. Opting to use all-natural ingredients as opposed to artificial junk and unhealthy preservatives is a practice Monin uses as they produce non-GMO products since its 1912 establishment by its founder, Georges Monin. His inspiration to go into the business of making cocktail syrups started with his brother-in-law who was asking for an after-dinner drink. This humble beginning soon spawned into a small business that has since grown to cater to a worldwide collection of businesses and consumers in over 140 nations.
7. Finest Call Premium Orgeat Syrup Drink Mix
With bartenders in mind, Finest Call has been in the business of putting together cocktail mixes for over twenty years. On Amazon, the majority of consumers who’ve already tried this almond orgeat have given favorable reviews. The product comes in a one-liter bottle that’s packed and sealed inside a box to ensure it arrives safely and uncompromised for consumer use and consumption.
6. Amoretti Premium Almond Orgeat Syrup
When Jack Barsoumian and his brother, Ara, teamed up with their wives to first put together Amoretti as a company, they took an infamous Armenian recipe of almond-pistachio truffle to market as their first manufactured product from a small shop they set up in Chatsworth, California. Over time, as Amoretti’s business grew, so did the product line. The premium almond orgeat syrup is one of them, which has been a favorite product among professionals in the culinary industry, including bartending. From 2002 onward, bakers, bartenders, and chefs have used Amoretti’s almond orgeat, among many other products, as a vital ingredient in their recipe creations that not only catered to consumers but took part in and won competitions.
5. 1883 Routin Almond Orgeat Syrup
Imported from France, the 1883 Routin Almond Orgeat Syrup has been a consistent favorite carried in bars, clubs, and restaurants that favor its recipe for some of their cocktails, including the Mai Tai. Since 1883, the collection of bartenders who first put together the company continued to evolve as each new generation brings forth new generations of these mixologists each time. 1883 also has an elite bartending school, as well as running bartending competitions that feature their products, including the almond orgeat syrup. The mix of sweet almonds, cane sugar, and Alpine water makes the flavoring of 1883’s almond orgeat a luxurious option when making tiki-style cocktails.
4. Liquid Alchemist Almond Orgeat
Liquid Alchemist keeps it real with its almond orgeat creation by using roasted almond, cane sugar, and a hint of orange blossom water to make one of the healthiest and tastiest syrups one could possibly put into a cocktail. Among the highlights of this orgeat syrup is it does not use dairy, or GMOs, and is gluten-free. Since 2009, professional bartender Randy Tarlow, founder of Liquid Alchemist, continues to strive to be among the best in the business when it comes to prepping and serving up quality cocktail syrup products. Among the best bars, clubs, and restaurants that are fussy about what sits on their liquor shelves, quite often the almond orgeat from Liquid Alchemist will be among them.
3. BG Reynolds Natural Tiki Cocktail Cane Syrup, Original Orgeat
From Portland, Oregon, BG Reynolds uses real almonds and cane sugar to make what has been the company’s original product when they first got into the business. When researching reviews on various consumer sites, such as Amazon and Walmart, often BG Reynolds is seen among the group that has at least four out of five stars from enough people that gives this product enough credibility to be considered among the best. The less artificial the product is, the better. BG Reynolds makes sure to keep the artificial stuff out and keep only what nature intended for human consumption in.
2. Torani Almond Orgeat Syrup
Beautifully translucent, yet milky white at the same time, Torani’s heavenly almond orgeat syrup uses only cane sugar to sweeten up the nuttiness behind the almond. Torani has been a solid brand, featuring a number of cocktail syrups that have become a staple among most bars, clubs, and restaurants since 1925 when Rinaldo and Ezild Torre began hand-crafting syrups from their home of Lucca, Italy. Since its humble beginnings, Torani is well known, and loved, for its product line. Among the first cocktail, syrups created was the almond orgeat because of its sweet and nutty flavor.
1. Liber & Co. Almond Orgeat Syrup
Averagely priced at $17.99 a bottle, almond orgeat syrup by Liber & Co. is considered to be among the premier almond-based cocktail syrups available on the market. It’s one of the favorites used for Mai Tai cocktails, as well as replacing coconut-flavored syrups with something almond-flavored. As a syrup product, it is also among the healthiest on the market as Liber & Co. uses real roasted almonds, pure cane sugar, and bitter almond oil. This not only gives a truly exquisite flavor but a sensational aroma that seems luxuriously intoxicating. Liber & Co. hail from Austin, Texas, and have been in the business of making cocktail syrups since October 2011.