Sirup Susu – Pink Rose Milk Syrup Drink

Sirup Susu (Stroop Susu or Soesoe), is a popular drink in Indonesia that combines rose syrup with chilled milk.

The taste is sweet with floral notes from the rose syrup, balanced by the creamy richness of the milk. It’s a smooth and refreshing beverage with a hint of exotic sweetness.

Literal Translation: Sirup means “syrup” and Susu means “milk” in English. Milk Syrup.

It is typically enjoyed as a refreshing drink on its own, or served as a dessert beverage. It tastes lovely chilled, especially on hot days.

Stroop Susu

Let me say this, growing up in the Netherlands in an Indonesian-Dutch family, and with many Indonesian friends, Stroop Susu (as we called it) was a staple at birthdays and other celebrations. However, I never saw anyone making it from scratch. Most people simply bought the ready-made bottled rose syrup or stroop susu, which was easy to mix with milk or water.

When I moved to NYC and lived there for over a decade, I found a few Indonesian shops and ingredients, but it was not as convenient as just picking up a bottle at the local grocery store. That’s when I thought, why not try making it myself?

Turns out, making Sirup Susu at home was quite easy. I prepared a rose syrup using rose water instead of fresh rose petals. And once the syrup was ready, mixed it with cold milk for a delicious and fragrant sirup susu drink.

Variations and Adaptations

The most common version of Sirup Susu is simple and made with rose syrup and regular milk. However, there are many ways to modify this recipe to suit different tastes and dietary needs.

In Indonesia, Sirup Susu is often enjoyed with sweetened condensed milk or evaporated milk, adding different levels of sweetness and creaminess to the drink.

In Malaysia and Singapore, a similar drink with rose syrup and milk is called Sirap Bandung (not related to the Indonesian city Bandung).

You can also use any type of milk, including dairy or non-dairy alternatives like almond milk. This makes it accessible for both vegans and non-vegans. If you find that using just milk makes the drink too rich, you can balance it out by adding a bit of water.

Adjust quantities of all the ingredients to suit your taste. Or for a different twist, use soda water or a lemon-lime soda instead of milk, which makes it a drink known as ‘soda gembira’ or happy soda.

Serve your rose milk with ice cubes, or frozen coconut milk cubes for a tropical touch. Add pieces of young coconut (kelapa muda), fresh or from a can, to make the drink extra special and refreshing.

How to Store Sirup Susu

Rose syrup itself has a relatively long shelf life. But when combined with milk, it won’t stay fresh as long. So store it in the fridge and drink within 2 days.