12 Grenadine Cocktails Worth Trying

One of my favorite grenadine cocktails of all time is the vibrant Tequila Sunrise! It’s beautiful and vibrant, with layered colors of a summer sunset. All you need is 3 ingredients and no special techniques or equipment. The flavor is refreshingly sweet, with just a hint of tequila.

Arguably the most popular of all grenadine drinks is the famous mocktail, the Shirley Temple! This isn’t the overly sweet, syrupy version of this drink. The classic way is actually made with ginger beer and makes a mocktail that for anyone looking for a bubbly, refreshing non-alcoholic drink. Or, turn it into a cocktail by adding vodka for a Dirty Shirley.

A Singapore Sling is for the adventurous drinker: it calls for a whopping 8 ingredients. It’s the longest ingredient list of any of my  cocktail recipes and has a few specialty ingredients. But if you want to experience a classic cocktail and don’t mind the challenge: it’s a must try! The combination of fruity, sweet tart and bubbly is intriguingly complex and just plain fun.

Here’s a sophisticated classic grenadine cocktail that steals the show: the Clover Club! This bright pink drink stems back before Prohibition, but it’s just as en vogue today. It's often made with raspberry syrup, but grenadine syrup is also traditional. Combine them with zingy lemon and gin to make a perfectly balanced sweet tart drink, with a classic egg white foam that gives a creamy body and frothy texture to each sip.

It’s fruity and extra boozy: the Hurricane is a classic New Orleans cocktail made with light and dark rum, passion fruit syrup, lime, and grenadine. The passion fruit gives it a tropical nuance, and a hint of grenadine gives it extra sweetness and a rosy-golden color. It’s a unique grenadine drink that’s festive and fun!

The Rum Swizzle is the national drink of Bermuda, a delightfully fruity and tropical grenadine cocktail. It's the type of drink you can build right in the glass, making it very simple to whip up! You’ll use a “swizzle stick” to quickly chill the drink, which is just as fun as the name is charming. 

Here’s a 1920's grenadine cocktail that’s all about charm: the Mary Pickford! Take one sip and it’s intriguing: pleasantly sweet and sour from the pineapple juice with a slightly funky finish from the Maraschino. This one looks like it’s straightforward in flavor, but there’s more intrigue that you'd expect in each pink sip.

Here’s a grenadine cocktail that’s a little over the top, but worth it if you’re an adventurous home bartender. The Zombie packs a potent punch, with four types of rum, three fruit juices, and two fruit syrups. It’s got a 1970’s vibe, but this cocktail actually was born in the 1930’s. Here’s how to whip up this special mixed drink!

Here’s a 1920’s slow sipper that’s begging to be part of your cocktail repertoire: the El Presidente cocktail! This Cuban classic never soared quite as high as the daiquiri or the mojito, but it’s something special in its own right. It’s sleek and sophisticated, like a Cuban spin on a Manhattan using rum instead. This grenadine cocktail has some special ingredients and comes out boozy, subtly bitter with a sweet and citrus nuance. 

Here’s a brilliant beachy drink that’s stunning with a deliciously tropical flavor: the Malibu Sunset! This layered cocktail brings the party with coconut rum, pineapple juice, and orange juice. Add grenadine and it layers into the gradient of the colors of a sunset!

Here’s a surprising grenadine cocktail starring rye whiskey! The Ward 8 was invented in 1898 and is a riff on the popular whiskey sour. Where the whiskey sour can be on the sweet side, the Ward 8 is perfectly balanced and tart. It features rye whiskey, orange juice and grenadine for sweetness and color.

Last up in my favorite grenadine cocktails is a pineapple vodka cocktail with grenadine. This stunning two-toned drink couldn’t be easier: simply mix pineapple, vodka and lime right up in the serving glass and it tastes sublime. A brilliant red layer of grenadine makes the bottom of the drink glow.