Falernum Syrup
Falernum is the secret ingredient behind the best tiki cocktails. A Caribbean syrup that doesn't get nearly enough credit at the home bar — it's what makes a proper Corn 'n Oil taste like the real thing, and gives a Kingston Buck or Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail its signature spiced depth. We made ours in collaboration with bartender Anders Erickson, building around fresh lime, warm baking spices (clove, nutmeg), real ginger juice, and a hint of almond and vanilla. The result is bright, spiced, layered, and unmistakable.
Stir a half-ounce into a rum cocktail and watch a simple drink become genuinely complex. Splash it into a Corn 'n Oil, a Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, a Kingston Buck, or a Chartreuse Swizzle. Sub it for simple syrup in a daiquiri for spiced depth. Add it to gin or vodka for a tropical twist with real backbone. Mix it solo with sparkling water and lime for a non-alcoholic option that drinks like an island cocktail.
Tasting Notes: bright lime zest, warm clove and nutmeg, soft almond, real ginger heat, vanilla finish
The Short Version: A craft Caribbean falernum syrup made in collaboration with bartender Anders Erickson — built on real lime, baking spices, ginger, and almond, designed for classic tiki drinks like the Corn 'n Oil, Kingston Buck, and Chartreuse Swizzle.
Ingredients: Filtered water, organic cane sugar, organic ginger juice, clove, nutmeg, lime zest, lime peel, almond extract, vanilla extract, citric acid.
Perfect For: Tiki cocktail enthusiasts, rum drinkers, home bartenders building a proper cocktail bar, Anders Erickson fans, and anyone who's read a tiki cocktail book and wondered what falernum actually tastes like.
Best Enjoyed In: Corn 'n Oil (½ oz syrup + 2 oz blackstrap rum + lime + Angostura), Royal Bermuda Yacht Club Cocktail (½ oz + 2 oz aged rum + lime + orange curaçao), Kingston Buck (½ oz + 2 oz rum + lime + ginger beer), Chartreuse Swizzle (½ oz + 1 oz green Chartreuse + lime + pineapple), or 1 oz syrup + 6 oz sparkling water with a lime wheel for a tiki-style mocktail.
The Portland Syrups Promise: Ethically sourced, carefully brewed, and bottled in glass jars right here in SE Portland, Oregon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does the syrup last after opening?
A: Our syrups are shelf-stable for 24 months unopened. Once opened, refrigerate and enjoy within 6 months.
Q: What is falernum?
A: Falernum is a sweet, spiced Caribbean syrup that's been a tiki cocktail staple since the 1700s. It originated in Barbados and traditionally combines lime, almond, clove, ginger, and other warming spices. The flavor is hard to pin down in one word — bright but warming, sweet but spiced, citrusy but layered. If you've had a great Corn 'n Oil, Kingston Buck, or Chartreuse Swizzle, you've had falernum. It's the secret ingredient in countless tiki classics that home bartenders skip and then wonder why their drinks taste flat.
Q: Why does this syrup cost more than your other syrups?
A: Two reasons. First, falernum is a more complex syrup to make — it requires more ingredients (real lime peel, real ginger juice, whole baking spices, plus almond and vanilla extracts) and more careful balancing than a single-flavor syrup. Second, this is our premium Anders Erickson collaboration line, made in smaller batches with input from a working bartender who's spent 20+ years perfecting the recipe. The result is a syrup that performs at cocktail-bar quality, not home-bar approximation.