Recently, Monin (the syrup company) were kind enough to send me some of their products. I received a few flavours and this post will showcase one of their latest products: Falernum syrup. Now Falernum is not a new product, it’s a Caribbean spiced syrup that is often alcoholic and almost exclusively used in Tiki Style cocktails.
I’ve been trying to lay my hands on Falernum, in one form or another, for years and always failed at the last hurdle. However, thanks to the lovely PR team over at Monin (specifically Emma White – Thank you) I’ve finally got some. And boy oh boy it was worth the wait!
Monin’s falernum Syrup is everything I thought it would be. It’s sweet, fragrant, and yet it contains a gentle heat that completes the flavour profile you’d expect from a Caribbean spiced syrup. I can safely say, that I now know why it’s used so copiously across the wide variety of Tiki cocktails.
Below I try to take 6 tiki style cocktails and, with very little tweaking, create them in such a way that you’ll be making them for yourself by the end of the post…
Golden Gate
Recipe:
2m Plantation 3-star platinum [white] Rum
1m Fresh Lemon Juice
Splash of Monin Falernum syrup
Garnish: 1 orange Peel
Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well with ice (around 10 seconds should be enough).
- Strain into a chilled Coupe glass and garnish with an orange peel.
Top Tip: Although this drink is made short, you can use a rocks glass and crushed ice to make it a longer, more palatable drink – especially if you’re not one for shorter, stronger drinks.
Corn & Oil
Recipe:
2 measure El Ron Prohibido Solera Rum
1 measure Monin Falernum Syrup
¾ measure Fresh Lime Juice
Dash Bitter Truth Old Time Aromatic Bitters
Garnish: Lime Wedge, Edible Flower
Method:
- Shake the ingredients hard, over ice.
- Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.
- Garnish and serve with a straw, or two.
The Zombie (Classic Recipe)
Recipe:
1 ½ measures Jamaican Rum
1 ½ measures Puerto Rican Rum
1 measure 151-proof rum
½ measure Dons Mix*
½ measure Monin Falernum syrup
¾ measure Fresh Lime Juice
¼ measure Monin Grenadine syrup
2 dashes Absinthe
1 dash angostura bitters
Garnish: 2 mint sprigs
Method:
Dons Mix: combine 2 measures Grapefruit Juice with 1 measure of cinnamon simple syrup.
Cocktail:
- Shake all of the ingredients over ice for around 10-15 seconds.
- Strain ingredients into a Tiki Mug filled with crushed ice.
- Top up with crushed ice and garnish with a couple of mint sprigs and serve with 2 straws.
Whilst Jamaican Rum is quite easy to come by (Appleton Estate Special is available in most supermarkets) the Puerto Rican Rum might be a little harder to come by. Sainsbury’s currently stock Flor De Cana, a rum from Nicaragua, which is a decent replacement. Equally, you can experiment like I did and go for something completely different.
I used Plantation Platinum 3 stars, and a Mexican Solera Rum I picked up a little while ago and fell in love with (El Ron Prohibido).
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (Tall)
Recipe:
1 ½ measures El Ron Prohibido Solera Rum
½ measure Monin Falernum Syrup
¼ measure Merlet Trois Citrus (Triple Sec)
¾ measure Fresh Lime Juice
Top up Ginger ale
Garnish: Lime Wheel & Mint Sprig(s)
Method:
- Add ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake over ice for around 10 seconds.
- Strain into a tiki mug filled with crushed ice.
- Top with more crushed ice, and then the Ginger ale.
- Garnish and serve with 2 straws.
This cocktail, originally comprised of just the first 4 ingredients. However, it came up a bit short in my mug (even when doubled). So I simply topped with the ginger ale at hand (Canada Dry) and it seemed to work brilliantly. So I hope you enjoy this lengthened version of the Yacht Club – if not, try it without the ale, serving it short in a coupe/martini glass.
Bronx Cheer
Recipe:
2 measures Makers Mark Kentucky Bourbon
1 measure Fresh Lime Juice
¾ measure Monin Falernum Syrup
¾ measure Raspberry Simple Syrup
Garnish: Lime Wheel & Raspberry skewer.
Method:
- Shake all the ingredients, over ice, for around 10-15 seconds.
- Strain into a ceramic Tiki Mug filled with crushed ice.
- Top up with more crushed ice and garnish, before serving with two straws.
This cocktail is the only one I do not have a picture for. My raspberries went mouldy before their BBE and no shops were open on a Sunday night – murphy’s law, right? However, I have had this cocktail recently and can attest to its rather palatable taste (and considering I’m not a fan of whisky – that’s quite the compliment).
Juke Cup
Recipe:
1 ¼ measures Monin Falernum Syrup
¾ measure Rhum Agricole (high proof)
¾ measure fresh lime juice
¼ measure Honey Simple Syrup
1 Cucumber slice
Top up – Ginger ale
Garnish: Cucumber slice & Pineapple Chunk
Method:
- Adding the cucumber slice, lime juice and honey syrup to your glass, muddle well.
- Then add the Falernum and Rhum Agricole and stir well.
- Top up with ice and mix in some Ginger Ale.
- Garnish with a cucumber slice and pineapple chunk.
Honey syrup:
Combining at a 1:1 ratio, add honey to water and simmer, mixing until the honey dissolves.
Top Tip: the original recipe called for Ginger beer, but I find it to be a tad too spicy so I stick to the gentler ginger ale. If you like your ginger soda with a kick, try using ginger beer with this cocktail!
So there you have 6 cocktails that make great use of Monin’s Falernum syrup! Monin did a fantastic job supplying me with the Falernum used in this post (you can see it in a couple of the images) and I’d like to thank them for sending me a product I’ve been desperately after for years!
Monin has a vast array of flavoured syrups at their disposal and as a cocktail imbiber, I am always interested in trying out new and novel syrups! My favourite simply has to be this Falernum, although their Hibiscus syrup is a truly inspirational. You can purchase Monin syrups from a wide variety of outlets but click here for more information!
What about you? What’s your favourite flavour Monin syrup? Do you like the cool, crisp taste of their Cucumber syrup or are you a fan of their refreshing Melon syrup? Why don’t you drop a comment below and let me know! You never know they might send me a bottle to use in future posts!
The Fervent Shaker 
Perfect timing – I bought some Monin Falernum a few weeks ago and thanks to your post I now have some great recipes to try. Hurray!
It’s so good. I’d wanted to try Falernum for years. It tastes as amazing as I’d hoped. You’ll have to let me know what you think!