Grenadine
2014-08-14Ingredients
- 3 cups Pomegranate Juice*
- ¼ cup Sugar (Demerara/Turbinado)
- 10 Black Peppercorns
- 4 Cloves
- 1 Star Anise
- Add all ingredients to a medium-sized sauce pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half (about 30 minutes). Remove from heat, allow to cool, and strain into a clean stoppered bottle. Store in the refrigerator for 6-8 weeks. Yields 1½ cups.
- *We use POM-brand pomegranate juice. If using fresh pomegranates, slice the pomegranates in half, remove the seeds (arils), and run them through your juicer. You’ll need 4-cups of pomegranate seeds (from about 6 pomegranates) to give you 3 cups of juice.
Though we typically buy our Grenadine at the grocery store, it is certainly something you can easily make in your kitchen. You want your homemade grenadine to be bright, lively, and tart, with a beautiful ruby hue. It’s made with pomegranate juice, so you want to appreciate the slightly sour character of that fruit, and not make an overwhelming sweet concoction. We add just enough sugar to bring the tastes alive and give you the bold and spicy character you want to mix into your cocktails. This is the basic recipe, but we tweak it frequently – and you should too, creating your own Signature Grenadine. Be creative and experiment. We will often throw in some dried Juniper Berries, a Cardamom Pod, allspice berries, and even a Bay Leaf to steep while the syrup cools. (Don’t be tempted to add a Cinnamon stick, however, as that will dominate the syrup and overpower the subtle background flavors you want in your homemade grenadine.) Have fun & enjoy!