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Here’s how to make grenadine syrup in 15 minutes and two real ingredients: no corn syrup, no dye! Here’s my trick for getting that brilliant ruby color.
If you love cocktails like I do, you’ve probably made drinks with vibrant red grenadine syrup. It stars in many grenadine cocktails and mocktails, and turns out: it’s very easy to make at home!
Store-bought grenadine is usually made with high fructose corn syrup and additives. My homemade grenadine syrup is all natural, skipping all those preservatives and unnatural sugars. All you need is 15 minutes!
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Thank you so much for this quick and easy recipe. After reading the ingredients in a bottle of grenadine, there is no way I could drink it. This is awesome and so easy to make.” -Dana
What Is Grenadine Syrup?
Grenadine is a sweet tart syrup used in cocktails that’s bright red in color. While some people think it’s cherry, it’s actually made out of pomegranate juice! (The name comes from the French word for pomegranate, grenade.) Grenadine is used in lots of popular drinks: famously in a non-alcoholic Shirley Temple or the vibrant Tequila Sunrise!
Grenadine Syrup Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make grenadine syrup at home:
- Fresh pomegranate juice: Use two medium pomegranates or about 8 ounces of seeds to get ⅔ cup of juice. Bottled works in a pinch, but the color suffers.
- Granulated sugar: I don’t recommend brown sugar or honey here: they can muddy the color.
- Fresh lemon juice: This sharpens the sweetness so the syrup tastes bright and tangy, and the acidity helps it store little longer. Some people add citric acid for even more of a punch and more shelf life, but I prefer lemon juice here.
The Trick to Brilliant Color
Most homemade grenadine recipes result in a dark syrup: hardly the brilliant color you need in this syrup! Because it’s all natural with no artificial colors, you’d expect a less vibrant color than store bought.
But you can get even better color to your grenadine syrup with this trick: use fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. This results in a brilliant hot pink color instead of dark muddy brown. Here’s how to make fresh squeezed pomegranate juice:
- Start with pomegranate seeds. You can also buy whole pomegranates: you’ll just need to seed them first. See below for how to seed a pomegranate.
- Mash the seeds in a cocktail shaker to extract the juice. You can also use a tall glass and a wooden spoon.
- Strain the juice. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain out the juice.
How to Make Grenadine Syrup
Here’s the basic outline of what you’ll do to make grenadine syrup at home. It’s so easy and to us, it feels better than grabbing a bottle filled with high fructose corn syrup at the store:
- Make the pomegranate juice (see above).
- Place pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan.
- Heat until the sugar just dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool, then add a little lemon juice to add tart flavor.
Not sure you want to tackle it? Go to Best Grenadine Substitute.
How Long Grenadine Lasts
Homemade grenadine syrup is less stable than the store-bought version. Here’s what to do know about the shelf life:
- Homemade grenadine: Store in a sealed container at refrigerated, and it lasts up to 4 weeks. If you add 1 ounce vodka or brandy to the syrup to fortify it, it lasts up to 6 months refrigerated.
- Store-bought grenadine: Once it’s opened, store-bought grenadine lasts 4 to 6 months in the refrigerator.
Popular Grenadine Ddrinks
Here’s the fun part: what to make with grenadine syrup! There are lots of famous drinks that use grenadine: here are some of our favorites:
- Tequila Sunrise This vibrant cocktail layers the colors of a summer sunrise using tequila, orange and grenadine.
- Singapore Sling A classic cocktail with an impressively long ingredient list! It’s complex, fruity, bubbly and just plain fun.
- Shirley Temple A mocktail classic! The classic version of this mocktail uses lime and ginger ale. Or make it a Dirty Shirley with vodka!
- Clover Club This refreshing cocktail stars gin, grenadine and an egg white foam.
Dietary Notes
This grenadine syrup recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Real grenadine is made from pomegranate juice, not cherries. The cherry association comes from cheap commercial versions built on corn syrup and artificial flavoring.
About 3 to 4 weeks refrigerated in a sealed container. Adding 1 tablespoon of vodka or brandy extends it to roughly 6 months in the refrigerator.
Yes. You should refrigerate both homemade and purchased grenadine.
Yes, unless you fortify it (as noted above).
Pomegranate juice + simple syrup works — see my Best Grenadine Substitute guide.
Grenadine Syrup
Here’s how to make grenadine syrup, that brilliant red syrup for making cocktails! It’s all natural and easy to make using pomegranate juice.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: About ¾ cup 1x
- Category: Essentials
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup fresh squeezed pomegranate juice (8 ounces pomegranate seeds or 2 medium pomegranates)*
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Make the pomegranate juice: If using whole pomegranates, remove the seeds (see instructions above). Place the pomegranate seeds in a cocktail shaker (or tall glass) and mash with a muddler or wooden spoon until all the juices have been released. Then pour it through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup.
- Add the pomegranate juice and sugar to a small saucepan heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Cool and stir in the lemon juice. Pour into a sealed container and refrigerate up to three weeks. For a longer storage time, add 1 tablespoon vodka or brandy to fortify the syrup.
Notes
*You can also use bottled pomegranate juice, but the color won’t be as vibrant.
More cocktail recipes!
Outside of these grenadine drinks, there are many more great cocktail recipes! Here are some of our best drink collections:
- Sour Cocktails All the very best sours: Whiskey Sour, Sidecar, even the Margarita and Mojito.
- Egg White Cocktails Try the classic 1920’s egg white foam on these iconic drinks.
- Gin Cocktails All the classics: Gin Fizz, Gin and Tonic, and more!
- Bourbon Cocktails Try these bourbon greats: the Old Fashioned, Manhattan, and more.
- Cointreau Drinks The best drinks starring this famous orange liqueur.
- Champagne Cocktails These cocktails are light and bubbly! Perfect for celebration.
- Cranberry Cocktails Cranberry cocktails are so refreshing, like Vodka Cranberry and Sea Breeze.
- Frozen Alcoholic Drinks Cool off with Frose or Frozen Sangria.
How long would this last in the fridge?
I would keep just 1 month.
Can you use Pom bottled pure pomegranate juice to make this?
Yes
I made your home made grenadine recipe and I have a question. What is the purpose of the lemon juice? Could you use lime juice as an alternative?
It works as a preservative and brightens the flavor. Lime juice should work.
Thank You So Much for this quick and easy recipe. After reading the ingredients in a bottle of grenadine there is no way I could drink it.
This is awesome and so easy to make.