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Make Bar‑Grade Pandan Syrup and Rice Gin at Home: Ingredients, Substitutes and Storage

rrecipebook

2026-01-26

10 min read

Pantry-to-bar guide to homemade pandan syrup and rice-gin substitutes for cocktail lovers. Fast recipes, pantry swaps, and storage tips.

Short on specialty bottles but craving Bun House Disco’s neon green pandan negroni? This pantry‑and‑bar guide shows how to make bar‑grade pandan syrup and practical rice‑gin substitutes at home using common pantry items, simple techniques, and a few pro tips so your home cocktails look and taste like they belong behind a busy bar.

Why this guide matters in 2026

Home bartenders in 2026 are more adventurous and time‑pressed than ever: they want vibrant, culturally curious cocktails without specialty shopping or complicated gear. The past two years have seen a rise in Asian‑flavored cocktails and DIY spiriting, driven by late‑2025 trend reports and bar menus embracing pandan, yuzu, and rice‑based flavors. This guide gives you the sensory goal—pandan aroma and a rice‑like gin backbone—and practical ways to hit it from your pantry.

Quick overview: what you will learn

Pandan syrup: two proven methods (fresh pandan and pantry substitutes), ratios, and storage.
Rice‑gin substitutes: three pantry‑friendly approaches to approximate rice gin without buying specialty spirits.
Coloring & finishing: how to get that disco green without ruining flavor.
Storage & shelf life: bottling, preservation, and problem solving.

Part 1: Make bar‑grade pandan syrup

What you want from pandan syrup

Pandan syrup should taste floral, grassy, slightly vanilla‑nutty, and deliver a fresh green color. For cocktails you want clarity, consistent sweetness, and a shelf life long enough for multiple uses.

Method A: Fresh pandan leaf syrup (bar workflow)

This is the closest to what Bun House Disco uses. It emphasizes bright green color and a clean pandan fragrance.

Ingredients (makes about 250 ml)

250 ml water
250 g sugar (1:1 syrup) or 500 g sugar for 2:1 rich syrup
10–20 g fresh pandan leaf, green parts only (two to four leaves depending on size)
Optional: 5 ml lime juice or 1/8 tsp citric acid to brighten and preserve

Steps

Rinse pandan leaves and roughly chop or tear into strips.
Bring water and sugar to a simmer until sugar dissolves.
Add pandan, remove from heat, cover, and steep 20–30 minutes for color and aroma. For a blender method, roughly chop pandan and blitz in a high‑speed blender with a splash of the warm syrup for 20–30 seconds, then return to pot and steep 10 minutes.
Strain through a fine sieve or muslin. Press gently to extract color and aroma.
If using, add lime juice or citric acid now. Cool, bottle, and label.

Pro tips: Use 1:1 for cocktails where you want balanced sweetness; use 2:1 when you want syrup to carry more texture and longer fridge life. Heat gently—high heat can dull pandan aroma. If you want the brightest green, blitzing fresh leaves helps but may cloud the syrup; allow to settle and decant.

Method B: Pantry pandan substitute syrup (no fresh leaves)

Not everyone can find fresh pandan. Here are pantry‑friendly swaps that yield great aroma and a similar visual effect.

Substitute ingredient options

Pandan extract or pandan paste: usually sold in tiny bottles; use sparingly. Start with 2–4 drops per 250 ml syrup and adjust.
Pandan powder: dissolve 1/4–1/2 tsp per 250 ml syrup.
Frozen pandan purée: defrost and use like fresh leaves.
Vanilla + coconut: when pandan is unavailable, a small pinch of vanilla and a dash of coconut water simulates the sweet‑green base (not a true swap, but serviceable).

Pantry pandan syrup recipe (250 ml)

Make 1:1 syrup: 125 g sugar + 125 ml water, simmer until dissolved.
Remove from heat and stir in your pandan substitute: 3–5 drops pandan extract or 1/4 tsp pandan powder.
Cool, taste, and adjust. If color is weak, add a tiny pinch of matcha or spirulina for green color—see color notes below.
Strain if powdery, bottle and label.

Coloring the syrup naturally

Natural options: matcha powder, spirulina, or a food‑grade liquid chlorophyll extract. Start with a very small amount—matcha 1/16–1/8 tsp per 250 ml syrup gives green without vegetal bitterness. Spirulina is intense; 1/64–1/32 tsp. Avoid cooking spinach directly; it creates off flavors. For pop‑up bars and festival stalls, pair your lighting choice with natural colorants so the drink reads right under LEDs.

Syrup storage and shelf life

Refrigerated 1:1 syrup: 2–3 weeks if kept in a sterilized bottle.
2:1 rich syrup: up to 1 month refrigerated.
To extend life: add 10–20% by volume of neutral spirit (vodka) or 1/4 tsp citric acid per 250 ml. Alcohol extends shelf life and adds stability for cocktails.
Long storage: freeze syrup in ice cube trays for up to 6 months; thaw only what you need — a handy trick for remote catering or pop‑up bars.

Part 2: Pantry rice‑gin substitutes — make 'rice gin' without the specialty bottle

Rice gin is a gin distilled from rice or one that carries the subtle taste of rice. When a recipe calls for rice gin, the goals are: juniper backbone, citrus lift, and a soft ricey body that plays well with pandan. Here are three pragmatic ways to achieve that using common pantry items.

Method 1: Quick pantry 'rice gin' infusion (best balance of speed and quality)

Ingredients for about 500 ml finished spirit

500 ml neutral vodka or neutral grain spirit at 40–47% ABV
8–12 g juniper berries (crushed)
4 g coriander seeds (lightly crushed)
2 g angelica root or 1/2 tsp dried orris root (if available)
Zest of 1 lemon (avoid pith)
15–25 g toasted white rice (see below)
Optional: 1–2 pandan leaves or 4–6 drops pandan extract for aroma

Steps

Toast rice in a dry pan over medium heat until aromatic and lightly golden. Cool.
Lightly crush juniper and coriander; combine with toasted rice, lemon zest, and angelica in a jar.
Pour vodka over botanicals, seal, and shake daily. Steep 24–48 hours. Taste at 12 hours; juniper and rice notes can extract fast.
When you like the balance, strain through a fine sieve and then a coffee filter to clarity.
Optional: If the spirit lost brightness, add 1–2 tsp of lemon zest tincture or a few drops of citrus oil to finish.

Why this works: Toasted rice adds a rounded, slightly nutty backbone without heavy sweetness. Juniper and coriander give the gin character. The short steep keeps the spirit fresh and unbitter.

Method 2: Blender 'quick color' approach (Bun House Disco style)

For a vivid pandan infusion, bartenders sometimes blitz pandan leaves with spirit then strain—this extracts intense color and aroma fast. You can apply the same to create a rice‑forward gin by blitzing toasted rice with vodka and a small amount of juniper.

Steps

Place 15 g toasted rice, 8 g juniper berries, and 250 ml vodka in a blender. Pulse for 15–30 seconds—do not overheat.
Transfer to jar, steep 6–12 hours, then strain through muslin and coffee filter.
Allow to rest 24 hours; decant clear spirit and discard solids.

Note: This method can produce a cloudy result and should be clarified if you prefer a crystal clear gin for cocktails. Bartenders staging micro‑events often prefer clear pours to speed service.

Method 3: Concentrated tinctures and marriage (most shelf‑efficient)

Make small concentrated tinctures of juniper, citrus, and toasted rice, then blend with neutral spirit to taste. This is efficient for small volumes and gives the most control.

How to make a tincture

Fill a jar with 25 g botanicals and cover with 100 ml vodka. Shake daily for 7–10 days.
Strain and label the tincture with strength.
Blend tinctures into neutral spirit at 2–10% by volume until you reach the desired aroma.

Why use tinctures: Shelf stability, precision, and minimal waste. Tinctures also let you replicate a signature profile across multiple bottles — a useful approach for hybrid pop‑up kits and small catering menus.

Target flavor profile and ratios

Juniper: base backbone—pronounced but not domineering.
Citrus: expressed by lemon or orange zest, keeps the spirit bright.
Rice: subtle roasted/nutty body—15–25 g per 500 ml is sufficient.
Pandan: 5–10 g fresh or a few drops extract for aroma—beware of overpowering green vegetal notes.

Alcohol proof and safety notes

Start with a potable, commercial neutral spirit (40–47% ABV). Do not attempt distillation at home. Infusions with neutral spirit are safe when using food‑grade ingredients and clean equipment. Always label infused bottles with date and contents — and when you take bottles to events, match your labeling practice to local rules for temporary food/drink stalls described in many pop‑up kit guides.

Coloring the gin green without wrecking taste

That Bun House Disco glow is driven by strong pandan chlorophyll. If you don't have fresh pandan, these options help:

Natural chlorophyll extract: a few drops yield a bright, clean green with no added flavor.
Matcha: bright color but adds vegetal umami—use sparingly and strain well.
Spirulina: powerful and best for tiny adjustments; avoid overuse.
Green Chartreuse or Midori: adds both color and flavor; consider as cocktail component rather than straight colorant.
Food dye: if appearance is critical and authenticity less so, a tiny amount of concentrated food coloring is the fastest solution.

Storage, filtering, and bottling

Filter thoroughly: use a fine sieve, then a paper coffee filter. Repeat until clear.
Charcoal filter: for stubborn color or off‑notes, use activated charcoal filtering to clean flavor and hue.
Bottle: use amber bottles for light‑sensitive syrups; glass swing tops are great for spirits. Label with date and ingredients.
Shelf life: infusions kept at 40% ABV can last months unopened; taste periodically. Syrups are shorter lived—see syrup section.

Troubleshooting & advanced techniques

Cloudy syrup

Cause: pulverized solids or chlorophyll. Fix by cold settling, decanting, or passing through a coffee filter. If cloudiness persists, refrigerate overnight and decant the clear top layer. For fast service at events, many bartenders keep clarified batches frozen in trays and thaw as needed — a trick popular among festival bars covered in micro‑events.

Bitter or overgreen gin

Cause: over‑extraction of pandan or citrus pith. Fix by diluting with neutral spirit, or by resting the infusion and doing a short re‑filtration. Activated charcoal can remove bitterness but also strip aroma. For mobile bars, pair this step with a portable power strategy so you can run filtration and lighting equipment off‑grid.

Weak pandan aroma

Add a concentrated pandan tincture or 1–2 drops of pandan extract. Small, repeated additions are better than large one‑time doses.

Concise recipe cards

Pandan simple syrup 1:1 (250 ml)

125 ml water
125 g sugar
10 g fresh pandan or 3–4 drops pandan extract

Heat water and sugar until dissolved. Add pandan, steep 20–30 minutes. Strain and cool.

Pantry rice gin 500 ml

500 ml vodka
12 g juniper berries
4 g coriander seeds
20 g toasted rice
Zest of 1 lemon

Combine botanicals and vodka in jar, steep 24–48 hours, strain, filter, and bottle.

Why this approach fits 2026 and beyond

Late‑2025 to early‑2026 saw sharper demand for sustainable, zero‑waste cocktailing and at‑home mixology kits. Making pandan syrup and a rice‑gin substitute from pantry staples fits that brief: low waste, lower cost, and high creativity. Bartenders and home mixologists are blending cultural authenticity with practicality—this guide bridges both. If you're testing pours at a micro‑event or a weekend pop‑up, these small‑batch methods scale well.

"A great home cocktail isn't about expensive bottles; it's about controlled technique and small touches—an accurate syrup, mindful infusion, and smart color choices."

Actionable takeaways

Make pandan syrup with fresh leaves if you can; use extract or powder as a reliable pantry backup.
Approximate rice gin by infusing vodka with toasted rice, juniper, and citrus—steep 24–48 hours and filter well.
Preserve syrups with 10–20% vodka or citric acid and store in sterilized bottles in the fridge.
Color smart: use natural chlorophyll or tiny amounts of matcha/spirulina to get green without bitterness; test small batches first.
Label everything with dates and ingredients so you can duplicate success — a staple practice for creators turning recipes into creator commerce.

Next steps and call to action

Ready to mix your pandan negroni? Start by making a 250 ml batch of pandan syrup and a 500 ml pantry rice‑gin. Try a 25 ml pandan‑infused rice spirit, 15 ml white vermouth, and 15 ml green chartreuse to replicate Bun House Disco’s balance and tweak to taste. When you nail it, take a photo, tag your creation, and share your ratios so others can learn—community testing is how modern cocktails evolve.

Try one recipe today: Make the pandan simple syrup and the pantry rice gin, build a small‑batch negroni, and note what you’d change. Want printable recipe cards, batch scaling calculators, or step‑by‑step photos? Subscribe to our mixology newsletter and get the downloadable kit with sterilization checklists and labeling templates — plus a field kit checklist for lights and payment from pop‑up shop reviews.

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