What cocktail (or mocktail) isn’t better with a splash of sweetness?

I always thought grenadine was basically just the juice from the maraschino cherry jar. Apparently, it was originally made out of pomegranates! Since I love all things pomegranate, I had to make this with the extra container of juice I had hanging around in my fridge.

I love to add it to my weekend cocktails, boyfriend uses it to make his own “cherry limeade” (sh – don’t tell him it’s not cherry).

It’s super easy, you just make a simple syrup out of pomegranate juice and sugar. I imagine you could use any (unsweetened) fruit juice you like to make a wide array of flavored syrups.

If you want it thicker, boil it longer. Be careful not to boil it too long, though, as we don’t want to make grenadine candy. (do we?)

DIY Grenadine Syrup

• 1 cup unsweetened pomegranate juice (POM is fine)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Simmer juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until syrup is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (approximately 15 minutes).

Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

[Adapted from Food & Wine’s Cocktails 2008]

Natalie PurcelTwitterFacebook

Natalie is respected in the recipe blogosphere not only for her mouthwatering kitchen creations on her personal blog Wee Eats, but for her attractive photography that always seem to gather quite the impressive social media audience.