So why make grenadine? Your common run of the mill grenadine is chock full of artificial flavors and tastes nothing like pomegranate. This simply isn’t going to cut it. When you take the time to hand make a batch of grenadine it greatly improves the flavor profile of your cocktails. A lot of your older, more classic cocktail recipes call for grenadine and my mother always told me to respect my elders. So lets pay proper homage to the art of these cocktails, shall we?
Recipe
- 2 Cups Fresh Pomegranate Juice
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 2 Tea Bags of Hibiscus Tea
Instructions
Pick up 6 Pomegranates. For the best deal, visit your local Asian grocery store (H‑mart). If you don’t have an H‑mart, Wegmans will do the trick. I juiced 6 pomegranates with a citrus press for approximately 2 cups of fresh juice. You could go cheap here and buy pomegranate juice, but make sure you adjust your sugar levels.
Next add the 2 cups of juice and 2 cups sugar to a large pot. For a hint of raspberry and an added floral flavor, I steeped two bags of hibiscus tea in my batch for 10 minutes. If I could’ve found dried hibiscus flowers it would have been better, adding a wonderful floral note and red color.
This is where you can get a little creative with your recipe. Instead of the hibiscus tea or dried flowers, sometimes I pick up orange flower water at an Indian grocery store. You’ll also be able to find pomegranate syrup there, which is an acceptable grenadine substitute in a pinch.
After cooking the grenadine for 15 minutes, allow it to cool and bottle it up. You can also add a shot of vodka to help it preserve for a month.
Cocktails
I made this grenadine for The September 2010 Libation Lounge. Here are the cocktails that featured my house made grenadine:
Clover Leaf
- 2oz Gin
- 3/4oz Lemon Juice
- 1/2oz House Made Grenadine
- Egg White
- Mint leaves
Floridita
- 2oz Rum
- 1/2oz Lime Juice
- 1/2oz Sweet Vermouth
- 1/8oz White Crème De Cacao,
- 1/8oz House Made Grenadine
Monkey Gland
- 1 1/2oz Gin
- 1 1/2oz Fresh OJ
- 1/4oz House Made Grenadine,
- 1/8oz Herbsaint