Small Hand Foods Gum Syrup

Small Hand Foods Gum Syrup is an 8.5 oz bottle of gomme as it was made in the 19th century — a one-to-one organic cane sugar syrup emulsified with organic gum arabic, the acacia-tree resin that gives old-school syrups their weight, by San Francisco's Small Hand Foods, bartender Jennifer Colliau's 2008 company built at the Slanted Door around syrups made the 1800s way with no high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or artificial anything, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• Size: 8.5 oz bottle
• Ingredients: water, organic cane sugar, organic gum arabic, organic lemon juice
• Style: gomme — gum arabic for viscosity and weightier texture
• Origin: Small Hand Foods, San Francisco — founded 2008 by bartender Jennifer Colliau
• Use: spirit-forward classics — Sazerac, Old Fashioned, Mint Julep; a pre-Prohibition simple-syrup substitute
• Storage: refrigerate after opening

Simple Syrup, Before It Went Flat

Every cocktail made before Prohibition used gum syrup, and then it quietly vanished — replaced by plain simple syrup that sweetens fine but adds nothing to texture. Small Hand Foods brought it back: a 1:1 organic cane sugar syrup with gum arabic, the acacia resin that makes the difference between a drink that coats the glass and one that slides off it. The organic cane sugar adds an amber color and a light molasses character that reviewers note reads almost caramel. Use it anywhere you'd reach for simple syrup in a spirit-forward drink — a Sazerac, an Old Fashioned, a Julep — and the drink gets silkier without getting sweeter. It's the quiet upgrade to the whole Small Hand Foods shelf, including the fruit gums like raspberry and pineapple that are built on this base.

Tasting Notes

Clean cane sweetness with a light molasses/amber note and a rich, caramel-tinged character — but the real story is texture: weighty, silky, coating. Adds body without adding flavor competition.

How to Enjoy

Swap it 1:1 for simple syrup in Sazeracs, Old Fashioneds, and Juleps — anywhere a spirit-forward drink deserves more body. Cocktail Emporium's guidance: best in aromatic, spirit-forward cocktails.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does gum arabic do?
It's an acacia-tree resin that adds viscosity and a richer mouthfeel — the 19th-century secret to silkier cocktails.

Is it sweeter than simple syrup?
No — same 1:1 sweetness; the difference is texture and the light molasses character of organic cane sugar.

Can I use it anywhere I'd use simple syrup?
Yes — it's a direct pre-Prohibition substitute.

Does it need refrigeration?
After opening, yes.

Texture is everything — order Small Hand Foods Gum Syrup online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.