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DIY Pandan Syrup & Asian-Infused Cocktails for Your Home Street-Food Night

sstreetfood

2026-02-03

5 min read

Bring Bun House Disco Home: DIY Pandan Syrup & Asian-Infused Cocktails for Your Street-Food Night

Struggling to recreate that electric late-night street-food vibe at home? You’re not alone. Finding reliable recipes for authentic Asian flavors, sourcing pandan leaf, and balancing fragrant aromatics in a cocktail can feel daunting. This guide gives you clear, kitchen-friendly steps — from a foolproof pandan syrup to a simplified pandan negroni — so you can channel Bun House Disco energy for a home pop-up or street-food night.

Why pandan matters in 2026 (and why now is the best time to learn)

Pandan has moved from niche garnish to mainstream mixology staple. Through late 2024–2025, bars in London, New York and Southeast Asia experimented heavily with pandan for its unique vanilla-green aroma and bright vegetal top notes. By 2026, the trend matured into what bartenders call the farm-to-glass and heritage-ingredient movements: people want regional flavors and sustainable sourcing.

For home cooks and pop-up hosts, pandan delivers that unmistakable scent associated with Southeast Asian desserts and street food without complicated technique. With a reliable pandan syrup and one simplified cocktail formula, you can safely create consistent drinks for a crowd.

What you’ll get from this article

A step-by-step pandan syrup recipe with two methods (quick & classic) and storage tips.
Two home-bar approaches to a pandan negroni: a pandan-infused gin method and a syrup-forward shortcut.
Batching, safety and sourcing guidance for small pop-ups and street-food nights.
Pairing ideas and sensory notes to elevate service and recreate the Bun House Disco vibe.

Essential gear & sourcing checklist

Before you start, get these basics ready. Minimal tools mean maximum accessibility.

Fresh pandan leaf (if available) or quality pandan extract — see sourcing below.
Scale or measuring spoons; measuring jiggers for cocktails.
Fine mesh sieve and muslin (cheesecloth) for clear syrup.
Small saucepan, blender or stick blender, and a jar for storing syrup.
Mixing glass, bar spoon, rocks glass and a channel or peeler for citrus peel.
For batching/pop-ups: insulated dispensers, sanitized PET bottles, or soda kegs for pre-mixed cocktails.

Choosing pandan: fresh vs frozen vs extract

Fresh pandan leaf gives the brightest, greenest aroma. If you can find it at an Asian supermarket, buy long, unblemished stalks and use the green part only — it’s where the oils concentrate.

If fresh is unavailable, frozen pandan retains aroma well. Pure pandan extract is convenient, but quality varies — look for 100% pandan (no added sugar or artificial flavor). For a home street-food night, I recommend fresh when you can; frozen or extract is fine as backup.

Recipe: Classic pandan simple syrup (1:1) — 250ml

This makes a versatile syrup for cocktails, mocktails and desserts. It’s balanced and fridge-stable for up to two weeks.

Ingredients

200ml water
200g granulated sugar (1:1 ratio)
2–3 fresh pandan leaves (about 10–15g), washed and torn into pieces
Optional: 1 strip of lime zest or 1 small pandan stem for extra character

Method (stovetop — fastest reliable extraction)

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves.
Add torn pandan leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer; do not boil aggressively (it dulls aromatics). Simmer for 8–10 minutes.
Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 30–60 minutes depending on depth of flavor desired.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with muslin into a sterilized jar. Press gently to extract liquid but avoid pressing leaf solids through.
Cool to room temp, label, and refrigerate. Keeps 10–14 days refrigerated.

Notes & tips

For a brighter aroma, cold maceration works well: combine torn leaves with room-temp simple syrup and let sit 12–24 hours in the fridge before straining.
Substitute coconut sugar for a deeper, dessert-style syrup but expect a brown tint.
Use a 2:1 (rich) syrup if you want thicker mouthfeel for cocktails — 400g sugar to 200ml water.

Quick pandan syrup (blender method) — 250ml

When you need pandan syrup fast for a pop-up, the blender method extracts aroma quickly and gives a vivid color. Use with care for clarity-sensitive cocktails.

Ingredients & method

200ml hot water
200g granulated sugar
2–3 pandan leaves, finely chopped

Make hot syrup: dissolve sugar in hot water.
Add syrup and pandan to a blender and blitz for 20–30 seconds.
Strain through a fine sieve and then muslin to remove particles. Chill before use.

This method extracts chlorophyll and particulate matter, so plan to clarify if you want a crystal-clear drink (egg white, gelatin filtration or gravity filtration with coffee paper are options).

Advanced option: Sous-vide pandan syrup — for pop-ups & consistency

Sous-vide keeps volatile aromatics intact and is ideal for small-batch production at pop-ups in 2026, where consistency and speed matter.

Prepare syrup (1:1 or 2:1) and add pandan leaves to a vacuum bag or jar.
Set sous-vide at 55–60°C (131–140°F) for 1–2 hours.
Strain and chill. You get a clean, intensely aromatic syrup that’s shelf-stable refrigerated for 10–14 days.

Sensory notes: what pandan syrup should taste and smell like

Look for green-vanilla, grassy top notes with a hint of coconut and almond. It should be fragrant rather than cloying. If it smells vegetal or

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