DaVinci and Monin are two of the most popular brands of syrups used by baristas, mixologists, and home bartenders. Both brands offer a wide variety of flavor options to enhance coffee, tea, and cocktails. But which brand truly reigns supreme?
Brief History of DaVinci and Monin
DaVinci Gourmet
DaVinci Gourmet is an American brand founded in 1989 by Malcolm Stogo. Based in Seattle, Washington, DaVinci aimed to create high-quality, all-natural syrups to elevate specialty coffee and tea beverages. The name “DaVinci” evokes the creative genius of the famous Renaissance artist, scientist and inventor Leonardo Da Vinci.
DaVinci’s syrups quickly gained popularity among baristas and cafes for their pure cane sugar-based recipes. Free of artificial preservatives, flavors or colors, DaVinci focused on crafting syrups with real ingredients like fruit juices, spices and nuts. Today, DaVinci continues that mission of premium quality and innovative flavor combinations.
Monin
Monin is a French syrup brand founded in 1912 by Georges Monin in Bourges, France. Known for their fruit-based syrups and concentrates, Monin revolutionized the bar and restaurant industry with quality ingredients and innovative flavors.
The Monin company gained significant popularity after Georges’ son Maurice Monin took over in 1947. Under his leadership, Monin focused heavily on research and development to create new flavor concepts using premium fruits, nuts, spices, chocolates and more. This dedication to innovation allowed Monin to expand internationally and become a leading syrup brand worldwide.
Today, Monin carries over 260 flavors and distributes products in over 160 countries. From coffee houses to five-star resorts, Monin aims to be the global standard of taste and quality.
Flavor Variety
One of the biggest differences between DaVinci and Monin is the variety of flavors offered.
DaVinci Flavors
DaVinci currently has around 60 syrup flavors available, including:
- Popular coffee flavors like caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, Irish cream, cinnamon
- Fruit flavors such as raspberry, peach, strawberry, mango, cherry, blackberry
- Herbal and floral options like lavender, rose, ginger, chai, mint
- Seasonal flavors including pumpkin spice, peppermint stick, gingerbread
- Unique options like almond roca, toffee nut, cookie butter
DaVinci focuses on crafting authentic flavored syrups using real ingredients. Their collection represents the most popular coffeehouse flavors as well as unique options.
Monin Flavors
In contrast, Monin boasts over 260 flavored syrups and fruit purees. Their extensive catalog includes:
- Every fruit imaginable – from banana to yuzu
- Floral flavors like elderflower, lavender, rose, violet, jasmine
- Unique options such as lychee, ginger pinecone, cactus fig
- Savory flavors including bacon, potato, tomato, olive, rum steak
- Dessert and cream flavors like biscotti, macaron, crème brûlée
- Alcoholic drink flavors such as amaretto, Irish cream, mojito, margarita
Monin prides itself on having the largest flavor variety in the syrup industry. They’re constantly innovating and launching new flavor concepts. If you can dream up a flavor, Monin likely carries it.
Based on sheer variety alone, Monin edges out DaVinci significantly. Monin offers 4x more flavor choices, including unique options you won’t find anywhere else.
Ingredients
DaVinci and Monin also differ in their approaches to ingredients:
DaVinci Ingredients
As a brand, DaVinci focuses on using natural, non-GMO ingredients:
- Cane sugar as the sweetener
- Real extracts like vanilla, almond, cocoa
- Fruit juices and purees
- Dairy products like milk and cream
- Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
They avoid artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives. DaVinci highlights their all-natural ingredient lists as a key selling point.
Monin Ingredients
Monin takes a different approach to ingredients. While they use natural extracts, juices and spices, they also incorporate:
- Natural and artificial flavors
- Added sugars or corn syrup
- Preservatives
- Artificial food coloring
This allows Monin to offer more unique flavor combinations, some of which can’t be created with natural ingredients alone. But it comes at the cost of using artificial additives.
Based on ingredients alone, DaVinci has the edge for using high-quality, all-natural components. Monin’s expansive flavor catalog relies more heavily on artificial additives.
Taste and Quality
The most important factor when comparing DaVinci vs Monin is taste. How do the syrups stack up when added to beverages?
DaVinci Taste
DaVinci syrups shine for their bold, authentic flavors. Their caramel tastes buttery and rich, while flavors like cinnamon and hazelnut burst with true spice and nuttiness.
Their fruit flavors pack a punch of real fruit flavor. Drinks taste freshly squeezed with DaVinci raspberry or strawberry syrups.
Since DaVinci doesn’t use artificial colors or flavors, what you taste is real. Their syrups blend extremely well into coffee, espresso and milk-based drinks. You get natural sweetness and flavors that complement, without overpowering, the beverage.
Monin Taste
Monin syrups also have robust flavors, although some taste artificial or overly sweet.
Their fruit flavors tend to be very concentrated and sweet. While they have intense taste, some fall short on nuanced, fresh fruit flavor.
Beverages made with Monin can sometimes have a slightly artificial or chemical taste. This likely comes from artificial colors and flavors used in some syrups.
However, Monin does excel at complex layers of flavor. Their holiday and dessert syrups like gingerbread or crème brûlée capture subtle flavor notes.
Overall for taste and mixability, DaVinci edges out Monin. DaVinci’s all-natural ingredients like real fruit purees make for syrups that taste homemade.
Sweetness
Another important distinction is sweetness level, which impacts how much syrup you need to use.
DaVinci Sweetness
DaVinci syrups use pure cane sugar as the sweetener. The sweetness level is moderate.
When adding DaVinci syrup to coffee or tea, you typically use a 1:1 ratio of 1 pump syrup for every 1 ounce of beverage. This provides sweetness without overpowering the drink.
Monin Sweetness
Monin syrups tend to be much sweeter, sometimes 2-3 times as sweet as DaVinci. Many Monin syrups contain added sugars or corn syrup.
With Monin, you may need to use less syrup to prevent an overly sweet drink – sometimes half the amount of a DaVinci syrup.
If you prefer lightly sweetened beverages, DaVinci’s more restrained sweetness gives you more control. Monin is ideal if you like an extra sugar punch.
Price
Pricing is another consideration when choosing between DaVinci and Monin:
DaVinci Pricing
DaVinci syrups cost between $7-$9 for a 25.4 oz bottle. Their prices tend to stay consistent between flavors.
Sometimes DaVinci syrup 4-packs are sold for $25-$35, making the per-bottle price around $6-$9.
Monin Pricing
Monin syrups range from $7-$22 per 33.8 oz bottle. Pricing varies widely depending on the flavor. Simple syrup flavors start around $7. More unique or complex flavors cost upwards of $15-$20.
Monin 4-packs are also available from $28-$35, making the per-bottle cost $7-$9.
Overall, DaVinci offers more consistent value pricing across all flavors. Monin’s prices fluctuate more depending on the complexity of the flavor.
Packaging
DaVinci and Monin also have distinct packaging:
DaVinci Packaging
– Clear plastic bottles to showcase syrup colors
– Black caps
– Black and white labels with calligraphy logo
– Vintage, elegant appearance
Monin Packaging
– Frosted plastic bottles obscure syrup colors
– Colored caps matching syrup flavors
– Colorful, modern labels
– Contemporary, eye-catching appearance
Monin’s vibrant colored packaging has a more fun, youthful look. DaVinci’s classy throwback logo and bottles offer a sophisticated vibe.
This may influence which brand fits better with your café, bar or home aesthetic. But flavor and quality should still take priority over appearance alone.
Conclusion
So which brand comes out on top in DaVinci vs Monin?
Here’s a quick summary comparing the pros and cons:
DaVinci Pros
- All-natural ingredients
- No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Nuanced, authentic flavors
- Mixes extremely well into beverages
- Moderate sweetness level
- Consistent pricing across flavors
DaVinci Cons
- Smaller flavor selection (60 vs 260 flavors)
- Less colorful packaging
Monin Pros
- Largest flavor variety (260+ flavors)
- Innovative flavor concepts
- Intense fruit and sweetness
- Fun, colorful packaging
Monin Cons
- Relies heavily on artificial colors, flavors, preservatives
- Some syrups have a chemical taste
- Very high sweetness
- Inconsistent pricing between flavors
Overall, DaVinci Gourmet syrups edge out Monin for their all-natural ingredients, true-to-life flavors and balanced sweetness.
Monin’s vast flavor selection is impressive, but many syrups suffer from an artificial, chemical taste. Their ultra-sweetness also limits their versatility.
For premium taste and drinkability, DaVinci is the superior brand. But Monin offers unique flavor options you won’t find anywhere else.
The ideal solution may be to stock core DaVinci syrups like caramel, vanilla and hazelnut. Complement with select Monin flavors for specialty drinks.
No matter which brand you choose, using quality syrups makes a huge difference in enhancing coffee, tea, and cocktail flavors. Both DaVinci and Monin can help you craft elite beverages, but DaVinci has the advantage for all-around taste and versatility.
