Liber & Co: One of the best cocktail syrups around. You need to try them.
Liber & Co out of Austin, Texas is at the top of our review favorites when it comes to craft cocktail syrups we have had the pleasure of tasting.
In 2011 the three founders, Robert, Adam and Chris, huddled over a 40 gallon steam kettle in the back of a hotel kitchen with a hand-written recipe and a few pounds of ingredients making tonic syrup. They were trying to recreate the great craft cocktails available in their local bar scene, but were finding it impossible. Their goal... create premium cocktail syrups with real ingredients that are quality enough for the top cocktail bars and home bartenders. Little did they know that Liber and Co. would become a brand of craft cocktail syrups and shrubs that would create a new cocktail category and change the game for cocktail enthusiasts across the country.
Liber and Co has developed an assortment of syrups, mixers and shrubs that allow home bartenders to work their magic and offer cocktails with their own creative flare. Syrup flavors include pineapple gum, tropical passion fruit, raspberry gum, orgeat and craft tonic and grenadine mixers. They even have a grapefruit shrub that we will review in the future.
In this review we tasted the Fiery Ginger, Tropical Passionfruit and Pineapple Gum syrups. We recommend initially following the recipe ratio on each bottle for the best experience.
Fiery Ginger Syrup
Moscow Mules are very popular with the Cocktailbro team. And with such a bold name, we were excited to try this syrup. Our motto when it comes to Moscow Mules is "the spicier, the better" which means it needs to have that classic ginger burn which many ginger syrups do not always get right. We started with 2 parts Ketel Vodka and 1 part syrup plus a splash of club soda. This syrup absolutely delivered with fresh, juiced ginger combined with pure cane sugar to give it an intense spiciness and burn along with great ginger flavor. It was a very smooth and delicious Moscow Mule when mixed with the Ketel. While not just for making Moscow Mules (might even work as a great sore throat remedy), if you love ginger then the Liber and Co. Fiery Ginger syrup is for you.
Bro Fist Bumps: 4 out of 5
Tropical Passionfruit Syrup
Generally, passionfruit syrups are very sweet. But as with other Liber and Co. mixers, this one had a very nice flavor without being too sweet. We mixed it with rum and the pineapple gum syrup to make our version of a Mai Tai. It was also unreal when mixed vodka and a splash of club soda and orange juice. It was just hard to believe that it was out of a bottle and not fresh squeezed juice. The flavor was perfectly balanced to allow for a lot of mixing with other flavorful ingredients. If you are a tropical cocktail fan then go crazy and experiment with this one; it will not disappoint while reminding you of your favorite beach vacation. The only thing you need is the little umbrella for your drink (and maybe the beach). It has quickly become one of our all-time favorite syrups we have reviewed.
Bro Fist Bumps: 5 out of 5
Pineapple Gum Syrup
I wouldn't really call it a syrup, although it may technically fall into that category. The Liber and Co. Pineapple Gum is more of a flavoring syrup that can be used across all types of cocktail recipes to add a hint of pineapple or be used as the base flavor. It has a really nice pineapple flavor with being too overpowering or sweet. In short, it was pretty awesome in all the cocktails we made. Whether it was a rum and coke or pineapple margarita we loved the smoothness and tang that it added. If you love pineapple and are looking to add to your bar assortment this would be at the top of our list.
Bro Fist Bumps: 4.5 out of 5