Have you ever had a Shirley Temple? It was a popular kid’s drink in the seventies and eighties made up of ginger ale and grenadine and usually the bright red dyed kind. To make things healthier I made us a homemade dye free grenadine for our pomagritas cocktail. It is so versatile and easier than you think! Use it for Tequila Sunrises, Shirley Temples (kids love it), Rum and Cokes, martinis, anything really. It takes 20 minutes to make without any of the corn syrup, dyes or preservatives like the bottled stuff and stores for over a month in the fridge.
Homemade Grenadine (recipe adapted from thekitchn blog):
Ingredients:
2 cups pomegranate juice (I use Lakewood Organic)
2 cups cane sugar
2 or 3 4″ strip of orange zest (I use a peeler)
Place the juice in a medium saucepan, along with sugar and orange zest, and bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 15 minutes, until the mixture has reduced to a syrupy consistency (about two cups). Cool before using.
My kids love when I add a few splashes to their ginger ale drinks (we love Zevia brand soda) and plop a cherry in it to make them feel fancy on New Year’s Eve (babysitters and restaurants are a fortune) so we make it cozy at home with friends then send all the kids to bed after midnight for a sleepover event while we hang out and play Citizens of Humanity. That’s as wild as it gets, but I love being home on New Year’s Eve.
For all those celebrating Christmas, I want to wish you a very merry and safe Christmas with your loved ones and sending holiday cheer with a pomagritas cocktail. Hope Santa drops by with some cool stuff. Since I won’t see you until 2016 I also want to wish you all a very happy and healthy (and safe!) New Year’s!
Jessica
- 4 oz. silver tequila
- 2 oz. Cointreau or other GF orange liqueur
- 3 limes juiced (about ⅓ cup)
- 1 oz. homemade grenadine (recipe above)
- Sparkling white wine or ginger ale for a non-alcoholic option
- Agave nectar
- Flaky sea salt (like Maldon)
- pomegranate arils
- lime slices
- Combine the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and grenadine in a shaker with ice, and shake vigorously. For salting the rims: drizzle about a tablespoon of agave nectar onto a small plate. Place some flaky sea salt on another small plate. Turn glass onto the agave plate to coat the rim then dip into the flaky salt plate, coat rim well. Strain iced drink into the salted-rim glasses (martini or stemless wine glasses), top with sparkling wine then add pomegranate arils and lemon slices to each with a couple of arils directly on the lime slices to expose some of the vibrant red fruit.
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