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Here are all the best grenadine cocktails that use this bright red syrup! Try everything from classic cocktails to modern grenadine drinks.
Got a bottle of grenadine on hand? There are so many grenadine drinks made with this brilliant red syrup! Grenadine is often mistaken for cherry syrup, but it’s actually made from pomegranate juice. Its name is derived from the French word for pomegranate, grenade. Grenadine tastes fruity and sweet, and adds a bright red color to every drink it touches.
Here are all the best grenadine cocktails using this sweet syrup! There are classics like the vibrant Tequila Sunrise and sophisticated Cuban El Presidente…and of course no list would be complete without the most famous mocktail of them all, the Shirley Temple. Let’s get mixing!
And now…the top grenadine cocktails and drinks!
First up in the list of grenadine cocktails...the vibrant Tequila Sunrise! It’s beautiful and vibrant, with layered colors of a summer sunset. Even better: it’s so easy to make! All you need is 3 ingredients: and no special techniques or equipment. The flavor is refreshingly sweet, with just a hint of tequila. Try it with our homemade grenadine!
Arguably the most popular of all grenadine drinks isn't a cocktail at all. It's the world-famous mocktail, the Shirley Temple! Or make it a cocktail by adding vodka for a Dirty Shirley. This isn’t the overly sweet, syrupy version of this drink. The classic way is actually made with ginger beer, and it's not just for kids! This mocktail works for anyone looking for a bubbly, refreshing non-alcoholic drink. Even better: try our all-natural homemade grenadine syrup that skips the artificial flavors and colors.
Want an impressive grenadine cocktail that’s fruity and refreshing? Try the Singapore Sling! This one’s for the adventurous drinker because it calls for a whopping 8 ingredients. It’s the longest ingredient list of any of our 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. The best part: a classic egg white foam gives a creamy body and frothy texture to each sip!
It’s fruity and extra boozy: meet the Hurricane! 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!
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: but there’s more to this pretty pink drink than you’d expect.
Here’s a grenadine cocktail that’s completely over the top…but worth it if you’re an adventurous home bartender. Meet the Zombie! This drink packs a potent punch, with four types of rum, three fruit juices and two fruit syrups. It’s totally unnecessary…but then again, that makes it more fun! While it’s got a 1970’s vibe, this cocktail actually comes from the 1930’s and was one of the first of its kind. Here’s what you need to know about the special ingredients and 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 but 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 visually 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! It might look intensely sweet, but it’s sweetened just enough, with a fruity finish from the coconut.
Here’s a surprising grenadine cocktail...with 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, making for a deliciously intriguing drink.
Last up in our grenadine cocktails: This Pineapple Vodka Cocktail! The stunning two-toned drink couldn’t be easier: you don’t even have to dirty a cocktail shaker. Simply mix pineapple, vodka and lime right up in the serving glass and it tastes sublime. Want to take it over the top? Add a brilliant red layer of grenadine to the bottom of the drink
Try homemade grenadine!
When you shop for the main ingredient for these grenadine drinks, look for all natural grenadine if you can. Grenadine is often made with artificial colors and flavors: many times it’s not even made of pomegranate! Another option is to make grenadine at home. How to do it? Use fresh pomegranate juice! This results in a brilliant hot pink color that’s naturally made from scratch. Here are the basic steps for how to make grenadine syrup:
- Mash fresh pomegranate seeds in a cocktail shaker to extract the juice. Then use a fine-mesh strainer to strain out the juice. Easy as that!
- Heat pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan. Heat 2/3 cup juice with ½ cup sugar until the sugar just dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Cool, then add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to add tart flavor.
Want more? Go to How to Make Grenadine and Best Grenadine Substitute.
PrintTequila Sunrise (& More Grenadine Drinks!)
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
Description
Here’s how to make a tequila sunrise! This vibrant grenadine cocktail layers the colors of a summer sunrise using tequila, orange and grenadine.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) tequila
- 4 ounces (½ cup) orange juice
- ¾ ounce (1 ½ tablespoons) grenadine syrup (purchased or homemade)
- Ice (try our clear ice!)
- For the garnish: Cocktail cherry, orange juice
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the tequila and orange juice and stir.
- Pour the grenadine into center of the drink and it will sink to the bottom. Stir gently for sunrise gradient effect.
- Garnish with an orange slice and cocktail cherry.
- Category: Drink
- Method: Stirred
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: Grenadine cocktails
Last updated: November 2020
I am looking for a recipe that my Aunt would make with water, sugar, grenadine and 180 proof Vodka. She added maraschino cherries. I know what was in it just not the amounts of each ingredient. She called it Red Eye. One could only sip this drink due to the Vodka. It is not the Red Eye I could find during a search. That Red Eye is called the Wedding Drink. Not the same. Any help would be very appreciated. Thank you.
I have never heard of that one. It sounds strong! Sorry I can’t be helpful.
Am happy to keep learning about cocktails keep up Alex 🙏