Rhode Island-made Caribe & Co. Syrups Tell Stories with Flavors

Whether it’s a pumpkin spice or mocha caramel latte, there’s no denying – we Rhode Islanders love our flavored coffees. It’s also a niche that professional chef and Johnson & Wales University grad Savannah Campbell found space to experiment with her own spin on drink and culinary syrups infusing a spectrum of Caribbean flavors.

“As a Jamaican American, gardening and cooking were big parts of my upbringing,” says Campbell, who launched Caribe & Co. just over a year ago through Warren-based food business incubator Hope & Main. With a degree in Food & Beverage Entrepreneurship and experience working in restaurants and hotels across the country, Campbell saw the benefits in having versatile ingredients on hand – and wanted to find a way to make Caribbean flavors more accessible. “I knew having a multi-use product would be valuable, and so, our ‘culinary’ syrups were born,” she says, which are made with all-natural ingredients steeped in pure cane sugar syrup and ideal for a range of drinks and sweet treats.

Some syrups are inspired by foods Campbell ate growing up, like the Coconut Drop, based on a Jamaican snack with the same name, which offers a rich and nutty alternative to maple syrup when drizzled over pancakes. A crowd pleaser for cold brew is Creme Caramel Syrup, and the spicy Habanero Syrup adds a kick to cucumber mojitos.

But Caribe & Co.’s best seller is Sorrel & Ginger. “Sorrel, one of the many names for ‘hibiscus,’ is an important flavor that was brought to the Caribbean by enslaved Africans and has permeated the region and become a staple,” shares Campbell. The syrup is steeped with hibiscus and ginger to create a tart, sweet profile best served in cocktails or mocktails, tea, and over ice cream. “Caribe & Co. is an homage to the flavors I grew up with and have come to love. It’s a story, and a celebration, of what makes the Caribbean vibrant, where the staple flavors came from, and how they connect us all.”

Find Caribe & Co. syrups at Stock Culinary Goods and the Hope & Main Downtown Makers Marketplace in Providence, as well as other retailers around the state and online at CaribeAndCo.com