If you are not in India, you have probably never seen a mocktail on a menu. Mixed drinks without any alcohol, mocktails are a must have in a country where so many people stay away from alcohol.
My favorite star of the mocktail world is Shirley Temple. Concocted for the teetotaler Ms. Temple, it really is the simplest of mocktails to make. You essentially mix grenadine with a lime-lemon flavored soda. Ginger ale, Sprite, 7 Up all work well here. The fancier versions “build” the drink, meaning you gradually float grenadine on top of soda so you can see two differently colored layers. Others swear by a shot of orange juice to improve the drink. Try it any way you want; for this post is not about Shirley Temple recipes. It's about grenadine.
I have tried buying Grenadine Syrup, but it was frankly too sweet for my taste. Plus every syrup and mixer you buy comes in those huge bottles that would make a thousand drinks. So what's a soul to do when she wants just ONE Shirley Temple. This soul decided to make her own grenadine syrup.
The ruby red Afghani pomegranates are in season now so that's where I started. Extracted 1/2 cup juice from pomegranate arils (seeds), then added 2 tbsp sugar and heated the juice/sugar in a saucepan until it boiled and then simmered it until it was halved and syrupy.
By the time it cooled, the fresh grenadine had all the goodness of pomegranate flavors and none of the bottled preservative feel. And isn't it the most loveliest of colors!
My favorite star of the mocktail world is Shirley Temple. Concocted for the teetotaler Ms. Temple, it really is the simplest of mocktails to make. You essentially mix grenadine with a lime-lemon flavored soda. Ginger ale, Sprite, 7 Up all work well here. The fancier versions “build” the drink, meaning you gradually float grenadine on top of soda so you can see two differently colored layers. Others swear by a shot of orange juice to improve the drink. Try it any way you want; for this post is not about Shirley Temple recipes. It's about grenadine.
I have tried buying Grenadine Syrup, but it was frankly too sweet for my taste. Plus every syrup and mixer you buy comes in those huge bottles that would make a thousand drinks. So what's a soul to do when she wants just ONE Shirley Temple. This soul decided to make her own grenadine syrup.
The ruby red Afghani pomegranates are in season now so that's where I started. Extracted 1/2 cup juice from pomegranate arils (seeds), then added 2 tbsp sugar and heated the juice/sugar in a saucepan until it boiled and then simmered it until it was halved and syrupy.
By the time it cooled, the fresh grenadine had all the goodness of pomegranate flavors and none of the bottled preservative feel. And isn't it the most loveliest of colors!
Comments
I once made pomegranate syrup because there was so much pomegarante at home and no one was eating it!
Cool!