RECIPE
Inspired by the earthy, woodsy notes of rye whiskey, the homemade grenadine blends fresh herbs, jasmine, vanilla, and pomegranate to create a rich, complex syrup with less sugar. The caramelized sugar and herb mixture adds depth, creating a flavorful and fragrant syrup that pairs beautifully with whiskey. The result is used in this sultry, holiday-worthy cocktail with a perfect balance of sweetness and spice. To make a similarly sultry mocktail version swap the rye whiskey with a strong brewed black tea or a smoky lapsang souchong tea.
For the grenadine:
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped, seed and pod reserved
30 fresh jasmine flowers
8 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon cracked white pepper
½ cup raw sugar
½ cup boiling water
1 ½ cup fresh pomegranate juice
For the cocktail or mocktail:
2 ounces rye whiskey (for a mocktail use 2 ounces strong brewed black tea)
1 ounce grenadine
½ ounce lemon juice
Bacon and Tobacco Bitters or similar
Rose Petal Bitters or similar
Combine the vanilla bean (scraped seeds and pod), jasmine flowers, sage, zests, pepper and sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Pulverize all of the ingredients together using heavy pressure with your fingers. You want to make sure all of the jasmine and sage pulverize into the sugar well.
Place the macerated sugar mix in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir the sugar constantly, using a wooden spoon, for about 1.5 minutes. You don’t want the sugar to melt but it will begin to appear coarser as it cooks and melts. Gently pour in the boiling water and continue to stir. Once the sugar is fully dissolved, after about a minute, add the pomegranate juice and bring to a boil. Let the grenadine boil for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat and summer for 6 to 8 minutes longer. Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool completely. Strain, discard the solids and bottle and refrigerate the liquid.
To make the cocktail/mocktail:
Combine the whiskey, grenadine, lemon juice and bacon tobacco bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously for about 60 seconds and strain into a coup style glass. Add a few drops of rose petal bitters and garnish with a sage leaf or jasmine flower.
A citrus juicer makes pomegranate juicing quick and efficient by effortlessly extracting juice while minimizing mess and effort.
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