Fassionola Syrup

Strawberries, passion fruit, and guava purée form the backbone of this tart and sweet Prohibition-era mixer.

Time
25 minutes

PHOTO: SCOTT SEMLER • FOOD STYLING: CAMILLE BECERRA

Published on January 16, 2026

At Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans, bar lead Sheila Arndt prepares a housemade fassionola cocktail syrup for an assortment of fruit-forward drinks, including Love in a Hurricane, a riff on the NOLA classic. While the original fassionola recipe is lost to history, Arndt relies on passion fruit, guava, strawberries, pineapple, and hibiscus for a floral, tropical-inflected elixir.

Featured in “The Secret History Behind a Prohibition-Era Cocktail Syrup” by Ellery Weil.

Ingredients

12 ounces strawberries, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
1½ cups sugar, plus more if needed
1 cup passion fruit purée
½ guava paste or purée
½ fresh pineapple juice
½ dried hibiscus flowers

Instructions

Step 1

To a medium pot, add the strawberries, sugar, passion fruit, guava, pineapple juice, and 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to gently simmer until thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the hibiscus, and set aside to steep for 10 minutes. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and carefully strain the mixture (it will still be hot), discarding the solids.

Step 2

Taste and add more sugar if needed. If the fassionola is too thick, add a little water until it resembles maple syrup. Transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

To a medium pot, add the strawberries, sugar, passion fruit, guava, pineapple juice, and 1 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to gently simmer until thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the hibiscus, and set aside to steep for 10 minutes. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and carefully strain the mixture (it will still be hot), discarding the solids.
Taste and add more sugar if needed. If the fassionola is too thick, add a little water until it resembles maple syrup. Transfer to a bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.