Small Hand Foods Raspberry Gum Syrup

Small Hand Foods Raspberry Gum Syrup is an 8.5 oz bottle of raspberry syrup built on organic raspberry concentrate, organic cane sugar, and organic gum arabic — the San Francisco syrup maker founded by bartender Jennifer Colliau in 2008 while she was behind the bar at the Slanted Door, cooking syrups the way they were made in the 1800s with no high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or anything artificial, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• Size: 8.5 oz bottle
• Ingredients: organic raspberry concentrate, organic cane sugar, water, organic gum arabic
• Style: gum syrup — gum arabic adds weight and mouth-coating viscosity
• Origin: Small Hand Foods, San Francisco — founded 2008 by bartender Jennifer Colliau
• Use: Clover Club, Maiden's Blush, Jack Rose; grenadine substitute in classic recipes
• Storage: refrigerate after opening

Grenadine's Brighter Cousin

Raspberry has been cocktail syrup's secret weapon since the Jack Rose era, and Small Hand Foods treats it with unusual seriousness: real organic raspberry concentrate cooked down with cane sugar and gum arabic, the acacia-tree resin that gives pre-Prohibition syrups their signature texture. The result reads "distinctly bushberry" — candied and less tannic than grenadine — with a concentrated berry flavor and unctuous, mouth-coating viscosity that thin commercial syrups never deliver. It doubles as a grenadine stand-in for early cocktail recipes where the original called for raspberry anyway. Pair it with a classic rye in a gum-syrup style build, or browse the full Small Hand Foods line for the matching pomegranate grenadine to compare berry against berry.

Tasting Notes

Bright, jammy raspberry — bushberry, candied, red-fruited — with the round, almost chewy viscosity gum arabic brings. Less tannic and more candied than pomegranate grenadine; the finish is clean berry rather than cloying.

How to Enjoy

The natural move is the Jack Rose (applejack + grenadine + lime) with this standing in for the grenadine, or a Clover Club where raspberry replaces the usual raspberry syrup entirely. Also sweetens fizzes and lemonades when you want berry instead of citrus.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between gum syrup and regular syrup?
Gum syrup includes gum arabic, an acacia-tree resin that adds viscosity and a richer mouthfeel — the pre-Prohibition standard for silkier cocktails.

Can I use this instead of grenadine?
Yes — it's an excellent substitute, and in early cocktail recipes that originally called for raspberry syrup it's arguably the more correct choice.

Does it need refrigeration?
After opening, yes — refrigerate like the rest of the Small Hand Foods line.

Is it made with real raspberries?
Yes — organic raspberry concentrate and organic cane sugar; no high-fructose corn syrup or artificial anything.

Real raspberry, 1800s method — order Small Hand Foods Raspberry Gum Syrup online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.