Glossary
Candi sugar
Inverted sugar used in Belgian brewing to raise alcohol without adding body, available clear or in dark forms that contribute caramel and dried-fruit character.
Also called candy sugar, belgian candi sugar, candi syrup.
The full record
Candi sugar has its own catalogue entry with the detail this page summarises — causes, thresholds, related styles and evidence.
Candi sugar — A highly fermentable sugar that raises strength while lightening body — central to strong Belgian ales.
A Belgian tripel is strong and yet notably dry and light-bodied. That is what candi sugar achieves: it is essentially fully fermentable, so it adds alcohol while contributing no dextrin.
Dark candi syrups are a different proposition, contributing substantial Maillard-derived flavour, and are what give a dubbel or a dark strong ale much of its raisin and fig character.
Related
More vocabulary
Adjunct · Aroma hop · Base malt · Bittering hop · Black malt · Brettanomyces · Chocolate malt · Crystal malt · Dextrin · Dual-purpose hop
See every term on the glossary index.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.