Marionberry Syrup
Marionberries are basically Oregon's blackberry — bigger, deeper, juicier, and almost impossible to find outside the Pacific Northwest. We turned them into a syrup and then made it more interesting by adding fresh basil and lemongrass, which sounds odd until you taste it: the berries carry the round, jammy depth, while the basil and lemongrass keep it from getting heavy. The result is unmistakably berry but never one-note.
Stir an ounce into vodka and lemon juice for a marionberry sour that drinks like a dessert without being too sweet. Splash it into Prosecco for a deep purple Bellini you'll want to photograph. Mix it with sparkling water for a mocktail that tastes like the inside of a berry pie. It also works surprisingly well drizzled over goat cheese — file that one away for next time you make a cheese plate.
Tasting Notes: deep marionberry jam, soft blackberry tartness, fresh basil top note, lemongrass brightness
The Short Version: A real Northwest marionberry syrup with basil and lemongrass — deep, jammy berry flavor with herbal complexity that lifts cocktails, mocktails, and brunch drinks above the usual.
Ingredients: Filtered water, organic basil, lemongrass, organic cane sugar, marionberry puree, blackberry puree, citric acid.
Perfect For: Pacific Northwest fans, brunch cocktail enthusiasts, herbal-cocktail makers, cheese-plate hosts, and anyone who loves berry flavor with a little more going on than just sugar.
Best Enjoyed In: Marionberry sours (1 oz syrup + 2 oz vodka or gin + lemon), marionberry Bellinis, marionberry spritzers, gin and tonics with a splash, or 1 oz syrup + 6 oz sparkling water for a deep-purple mocktail.
The Portland Syrups Promise: Ethically sourced, carefully brewed, and bottled in glass jars right here in SE Portland, Oregon.
Get Inspired
- A bright, bubbly Marionberry Spritzer for warm-weather sipping
- A breezy PNW Breeze Mocktail for the alcohol-free crowd
- A bittersweet Sparkling Marionberry Americano for evening cocktails
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's a marionberry, and how is it different from a blackberry?
A: Marionberries are a hybrid blackberry developed at Oregon State University in the 1950s — bigger, juicier, and more intensely flavored than common blackberries, with a deeper, slightly tart sweetness that's almost impossible to replicate outside the Pacific Northwest. Most people describe them as "blackberries dialed up to 11." If you've never tried one, this syrup is one of the more accessible ways to taste why Oregonians get a little smug about them.
Q: Are the basil and lemongrass noticeable in Marionberry Syrup?
A: They're there in the background, doing the work of keeping the flavor bright and complex without ever stepping forward as obvious "basil" or "lemongrass." Most people read the syrup as "really good marionberry," and only later realize there's something else going on — that herbal lift is what makes the syrup taste handcrafted instead of jammy and one-note.