Make Grenadine

Making your own grenadine is another way to elevate your at-home cocktails.  Grenadine is a pomegranate simple syrup that is a staple for any home bar setup and perfect for cocktails like the Hurricane. Growing up, I was under the distinct impression that grenadine was a bottled version of the syrup found in a maraschino cherry jar (you know, the ‘red dye no. 40’ kind).  But, in all fairness to my childish ignorance, it appears almost indistinguishable from that of Rose’s Grenadine!  I digress…

In a pinch, an equal parts mixture (1:1) pomegranate juice to sugar will yield a very basic grenadine.  I highly recommend the addition of both pomegranate molasses and orange flower water as they will give the grenadine a much deeper flavor that won’t get lost in a cocktail.  This is the recipe I use for a small batch yielding around 6 oz of grenadine:

• 4 oz of Pomegranate Juice

• 4 oz / 0.5 cup of Sugar

• 0.5 oz of Pomegranate Molasses

• 0.25 tsp of Orange Flower Water

• 0.25 oz of Vodka (to preserve)

The addition of vodka is not critical.  Since vodka is a neutral flavored spirit, there will not be any distinct change in flavor, however it will extend the shelf life of the mixture significantly.  But don’t take my word for it, make some syrup and try it for yourself!