What to use instead of grenadine
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Heavy red syrup that sinks and colours a drink from the bottom
It is a dense sugar syrup, heavier than juice or soda, so poured last it drops through the glass and holds a gradient instead of mixing in.
Pomegranate juice reduced with sugarRan out
1 cup pomegranate juice + 1 cup sugar, simmered down to 1 cup
This is what grenadine actually is, so it behaves identically and tastes tarter and less candied than the supermarket bottle.
Pomegranate molasses cut with simple syrupRan out
1 tsp molasses + 2 tsp simple syrup per 1/2 oz grenadine
Darker and considerably more sour, closer to burgundy than red in the glass. Still dense enough to sink cleanly.
Maraschino cherry jar syrupRan out
1:1 by volume
The diner answer. Sweeter and openly artificial, and it sinks a little slower because it runs thinner than a proper grenadine.
Hibiscus syrupRan out
2 tbsp dried hibiscus steeped 15 min in 1 cup hot simple syrup, strained
Deep magenta and genuinely tart, with a floral note that reads as cranberry to most people. Sinks as well as grenadine does.
What doesn't work: Plain pomegranate or cranberry juice. Unsweetened juice has the same density as the rest of the drink, so it disperses on contact and there is no sunrise at all, and the glass ends up sour and thin.
The sweetener that balances citrus in a punch or tiki mix
It carries the sugar that holds lime and pineapple in check, with a tart fruit note underneath that a plain syrup cannot supply.
Simple syrup with a squeeze of lemonRan out
1/2 oz simple syrup + 1/4 tsp lemon juice per 1/2 oz grenadine
Matches the sweetness exactly and gives up the colour completely, so a rum punch comes out pale gold.
Passion fruit syrupRan out
1:1 by volume
More perfume and more acid, and it turns the drink orange-yellow. It takes over a delicate mix, so pull the other fruit back.
Raspberry syrupRan out
1:1 by volume
Brighter red and sweeter, with a jammy note that reads as dessert next to grenadine's tartness.
OrgeatRan out
1:1 by volume
Almond and orange flower instead of pomegranate, and it clouds the drink milky white. Contains almond, so it is out for a nut allergy.
What doesn't work: Honey straight from the jar. It will not dissolve in a cold drink and settles as a lump at the bottom of the shaker. Cut it half and half with hot water into a honey syrup first, then it pours and mixes.