Grenadine Syrup

Homemade Grenadine Syrup is an easy way to elevate your cocktails. Making Tequila Sunrises and Shirley Temples at home has never been so delicious!

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Grenadine Syrup Recipe

There is something about neon-colored cocktails that I just cannot handle anymore.

Now and again, a brightly colored cocktail is fun, but most of the time, I’d rather have

Those bright lime green sour mixes, those vivid blue liqueurs, hot pink juices… They are something I enjoyed in a past life, but most of the time I’ll pass. The bright-red grenadine syrup falls into that category too.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still love a Shirley Temple now and again. (Spiked with vodka, it’s so good!)

Then I discovered you could make your own grenadine syrup with pomegranate juice, I was sold. I love making cocktail syrups that have natural ingredients.

Why you’ll love this recipe

Homemade grenadine is going to be your new favorite thing, for a few reasons.

• Grenadine is a flavorful and colorful addition to both cocktails and mocktails.
• Making grenadine at home is super easy to do.
• You can feel good about the ingredients — no artificial flavors or high fructose corn syrup here!

Generally, I try to stay away from store-bought grenadine. It’s the same kind you get in bars, and honestly, the commercial stuff has always been too saccharine-sweet and brightly colored for my taste.

When I realized I could make it at home with nothing more than pomegranate juice, sugar and a bit of lemon, that changed everything for me.

What is grenadine syrup?

Grenadine syrup is a common, non-alcoholic cocktail mixer made of pomegranate juice. It’s both sweet and tart in flavor.

It’s commonly confused with cherry syrup, probably because of its bright red color.

However, it is not the same as the liquid that maraschino cherries and cocktail cherries are soaked in.

Pomegranate molasses vs. grenadine

Middle Eastern cooking often uses pomegranate molasses, (which is made in a very similar fashion to the recipe you see below). It is made from pure pomegranate juice, giving it a deep red, and sometimes brown, color.

By contrast, the grenadine syrup most commonly found in the United States, is often corn-syrup based with pomegranate flavoring and bright red food color.

Pomegranate molasses — the real grenadine — can be found at international grocery stores.

Ingredients

Homemade grenadine only requires three ingredients.

• pomegranate juice
• sugar (granulated sugar, pure cane sugar and brown sugar are all fine)
• the juice of one lemon

The color will be a lot darker, but it tastes even better than the store-bought stuff, thanks to the pomegranate juice. Trust me!

You can use fresh pomegranate juice or store-bought. Homemade pomegranate juice is another option. But no matter what: real pomegranate juice is what gives this rich mixture its distinct flavor.

Fresh, tart lemon juice helps to balance the sweetness of the sugar and brightens the pomegranate flavor. Fresh lemon juice is best, but the concentrate works in a pinch. You can also use orange juice or lime juice instead.

It’s just as easy as making my homemade simple syrup!

How to make grenadine cocktail syrup

Making grenadine at home is super simple. Here’s what to do:

1. Get out a medium saucepan and place it over medium heat.
2. Combine the pomegranate juice, sugar and lemon juice. Stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
4. Let the syrup cool, then strain it and funnel into a jar or bottle.

How to store grenadine

Homemade grenadine can be store in a food-safe, airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Store-bought grenadine can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge. Unopened, it will last for up to a year — or the shelf life date printed on the bottle.

Opened grenadine can be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 months. For the best flavor, tightly seal the lid and store it in the fridge, where it will keep for about 4 to 6 months.

Non-alcoholic drinks with grenadine

Grenadine makes an appearance in lots of cocktails and beverages and even desserts.

The Shirley Temple is probably the most famous. The second most-famous is probably the Roy Rogers, which is made with cola and grenadine.

It also makes a great base for an Italian soda. Simply pour an ounce of grenadine over ice and top with club soda. (If you add a splash of milk, it’s called a French soda.)

You can also add it to lemonade or use it to sweeten iced tea.

Grenadine cocktails

When made with alcohol, a Shirley temple is called a Dirty Shirley. You can use vodka, rum or tequila.

The well-known Tequila Sunrise — and its sister the Corona Sunrise — also prominently feature grenadine syrup as a starring ingredient.

Before I discovered homemade grenadine syrup, it had been a long, long time since I’d had a Shirley Temple or a Tequila Sunrise, and now they taste much better!

The Jack Rose, Gin Daisy and Pink Lady are three more lesser-known but just as classic cocktails that are not to be missed.

You could also try it in place of simple syrup in a Classic Old-Fashioned Cocktail or in place of pomegranate juice in this Pomegranate Mule.

More grenadine recipes

For baking, you can use it to make a Shirley Temple cake or some grenadine whipped cream

Grenadine is often used in Middle Eastern cooking as well, and it’s called pomegranate molasses. Try it in hibiscus hot sauce

Grenadine substitute

If you don’t have grenadine syrup on hand, you can make it yourself with pomegranate juice, lemon juice and sugar.

You could also use another fruity syrup, such as strawberry syrup, cherry syrup or raspberry syrup instead in most drink recipes.

More homemade cocktail mixers

If you hate the bright-colored stuff like me, or if you’ve ever wanted to try making your own cocktail ingredients from scratch, this homemade grenadine syrup is definitely something to try. Here are some more homemade cocktail mixers to try:

• Orgeat Syrup
• Homemade Sour Mix
• Margarita Salt
• Homemade Ginger Alex