Brix calculator for cocktail syrups
Convert Brix and specific gravity, then weigh sugar and water for a syrup concentration that fits your cocktail recipe.
What Brix measures
One degree Brix represents one gram of sucrose in 100 grams of sucrose solution. A 50 °Bx syrup therefore contains 50% sugar and 50% water by mass before heating losses or other ingredients change the batch.
The USDA sucrose conversion table publishes percent sucrose, degrees Brix, refractive index, and apparent specific gravity at 20°C.
Conversion equations
The calculator applies two established approximation equations for sucrose solutions. It reports round-trip drift because the equations do not invert perfectly at high concentrations.
- Brix to specific gravity
- SG = 1 + Brix / (258.6 - (Brix / 258.2) × 227.1)
- Specific gravity to Brix
- Brix = 182.4601 × SG³ - 775.6821 × SG² + 1262.7794 × SG - 669.5622
Syrup calculation by mass
Sugar mass equals total syrup mass multiplied by target Brix divided by 100. Water receives the remainder, so both weights stay in the selected unit and add back to the target batch mass.
- Sugar
- sugar = total mass × target Brix / 100
- Water
- water = total mass - sugar
The existing simple and rich syrup guide covers the cooking method after the weights are set.
Supported range and limits
The published calculator range is 0 to 85 °Bx. Specific gravity inputs below water at 1.0000 are rejected.
Brix and specific gravity conversions are approximations for unfermented sucrose solutions. Fruit solids, acids, salts, glucose, fructose, and gums change the relationship.
Alcohol changes density and refractive index. This calculator does not estimate alcohol or correct fermented readings.
Use a calibrated instrument and apply its temperature correction before entering the reading.
For finished cocktail strength after the syrup enters a recipe, use the separate cocktail ABV calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Degrees Brix (°Bx) measure sugar by mass: one degree is one gram of sucrose in 100 grams of solution. A 50 °Bx syrup is half sugar and half water by weight.
A 1:1 simple syrup made by weight is 50 °Bx, a specific gravity of about 1.2330. A 2:1 rich syrup is about 66.7 °Bx, or 1.3334.
Choose Specific gravity to Brix and enter a hydrometer reading. The calculator applies an approximation equation for sucrose solutions and warns when the round trip back to gravity drifts.
From 0 to 85 °Bx, so specific gravity from 1.0000 for water up to about 1.4624. Readings that include alcohol, fruit solids or other sugars need a different model.
