Sweetener & Color
Grenadine
Grenadine is one of the most misunderstood ingredients in cocktail making. The mass-market version — bright red, thick, and cloyingly sweet — has almost nothing to do with the original, which was made from real pomegranate juice and had tartness, complexity, and a deep ruby color. Use the real thing, or make it yourself. The difference is not subtle.
What it brings to the drink
Real grenadine adds sweetness, a distinctive pomegranate-rose flavor, and a deep red color that makes cocktails like the Tequila Sunrise visually striking. It also adds a slight tartness that cheap versions lack entirely. In AF Cocktails, grenadine contributes flavor complexity that helps compensate for the absence of alcohol's depth.
What to look for
Real pomegranate juice as the primary ingredient. Brands like Liber & Co. and Small Hand Foods make grenadine worth using. Avoid anything where corn syrup is the first ingredient — it will taste artificial and dominate everything it touches. Homemade is easy: reduce pomegranate juice with sugar 2:1 and add a small amount of orange flower water.
Where people usually go wrong
- Using the wrong product. Maraschino cherry-colored, corn-syrup grenadine is not grenadine — it's red sugar syrup.
- Using too much. Real grenadine is assertive. A quarter ounce goes a long way.
- Stirring it in. In a Tequila Sunrise, grenadine is poured last over the back of a spoon to sink and create the gradient. Don't stir it.
Taste it in action
The one I'd buy
Liber & Co. Grenadine
Real pomegranate, real tartness. This is the grenadine I reach for when I'm not making my own.
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Questions I hear a lot
What is real grenadine made from?
Authentic grenadine is made from pomegranate juice reduced with sugar — traditionally in a roughly 2:1 sugar to juice ratio — with a small amount of orange flower water for aromatic depth. The result is tart, deep ruby-colored, and assertively flavored. Most commercial grenadines replace pomegranate entirely with corn syrup and red dye.
Can I substitute grenadine with something else?
In a Tequila Sunrise, a splash of fresh pomegranate juice with a small amount of simple syrup creates a workable substitute. For color without the tartness, raspberry syrup can stand in. Neither replicates grenadine exactly, but both perform the visual gradient function the drink requires.
How much grenadine should I use?
A quarter ounce is typically enough — real grenadine is assertive. In a Tequila Sunrise, that quarter ounce poured slowly over the back of a bar spoon creates the color gradient without dominating the flavor. More than half an ounce in most drinks starts to read as cough syrup rather than cocktail.