Grenadine is a sweet and tangy syrup that may be used into both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. If you’re ever in a hurry because you’re out of grenadine, you may use a grenadine alternative instead. Here are five options to think about.

What Is Grenadine?

Grenadine is easily identified by its pink or red tint. It’s a popular syrup used in cocktails and mixed beverages. It may be found in Tequila Sunrise and Queen Mary drinks. You may also make a delightful drink using grenadine, cold water, and ice cubes.

Grenadine has a distinct taste. It combines fruity aromas with sweet and tart undertones that taste like cherries. Unfortunately, there are no cherries in the syrup.

Grenadine is derived from the French word grenade, which meaning pomegranate. This fruit is the major component in grenadine and provides the syrup its sweet and tart flavor.

Although most store-bought grenadine syrups include high fructose corn syrup, you may prepare your own using pomegranate and lemon juice at home.

Pomegranate juice may be purchased or extracted from fresh fruits using a blender. Producing your own grenadine at home is simple and should be considered before using a replacement. While other ingredients with a similar flavor and syrupy viscosity may be used, pomegranate and lemon juice will be the closest thing to grenadine.

Top 5 Grenadine Substitutes

Molasses, raspberry syrup, and orgeat syrup are the greatest Grenadine replacements. Fruit juice and Cassis Liqueur are other suitable substitutes for grenadine.

1. Best Grenadine Replacement for Sweet Drinks: Molasses

One of the functions of grenadine in a drink is to sweeten it. It’s a lovely touch that helps to balance out the overpowering flavor of certain alcoholic drinks.

Because of its sweet flavor and syrupy viscosity, molasses is an excellent grenadine alternative. It will sink to the bottom of your glass like grenadine. It’s essential if you want a cocktail with distinct color layers, such as a Tequila Sunrise.

Molasses is a byproduct of sugar production. To extract the juice, sugar makers crush sugar canes or sugar beets. They will next boil this juice to get crystal sugar, although this procedure will also result in the formation of molasses.

Molasses has a high concentration of antioxidants, calcium, iron, selenium, and copper. If you’re healthy and take it in moderation, it may help balance blood sugar levels.

It’s an excellent grenadine syrup alternative since it’s cheap and simple to get. The biggest disadvantage is that you will not have the fruity flavor of grenadine.

Pomegranate molasses may be purchased or made as an alternative. It’s a frequent component in Middle Eastern cooking and may be found at specialty grocery shops.

You may also manufacture your own using the items listed below:

• pomegranate juice 4 cups (unsweetened)
• a cup of sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Bring all of the ingredients to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for an hour. The fluid will gradually thicken to a syrupy consistency.

You should be aware that one tablespoon of molasses contains around 15g of sugar. A tablespoon of grenadine, on the other hand, has 9g of sugar. If using molasses instead of grenadine, decrease the amount by one-third.

2. Best Option for Color and Taste: Raspberry Syrup

Since the colors are similar, we prefer using raspberry syrup as a grenadine substitute. If you’re creating a Russian Kiss or Gin Daisy and need a pink or red tint to make the drink stand out, we suggest raspberry syrup.

The consistency is comparable to grenadine, and the flavor is sweet. But, you won’t discover the sour notes that distinguish grenadine. A dab of lemon juice may lend a fresh and tangy flavour to your drink.

Raspberry syrup may be purchased or made from scratch. These are the ingredients you’ll need to produce your own syrup:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups water3

Bring the water and sugar to a boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the raspberries. Make a thick mixture with them and let it boil for an hour. To remove the fruits, strain the mixture with a towel.

You may make this recipe your own by adding brown sugar. It’s a sort of sugar with molasses added to it. It’s a good addition if you want to balance out the syrup’s fruity fragrance with some caramel or toffee overtones.

You may use equivalent amounts of raspberry syrup as a replacement for grenadine.

3. Best Grenadine Substitute for Putting a New Twist on Old Favorites: Orgeat syrup

Orgeat syrup is a common ingredient in Tiki-style drinks. It is made using almonds, sugar, rose water, or orange blossom water. It has a sweet and nutty scent that lends itself well to complicated mixed beverages.

It is widely available, however you may create your own using the following ingredients:

• 2 c. almonds
• 4 c. water
• 3 c. sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose or orange blossom water

Begin by soaking the almonds in water overnight. Take their skin and combine it with the water. With a towel, drain the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil after adding the sugar. After that, add the orange blossom or rose water and cook the syrup for an hour.

There are certain disadvantages to using orgeat syrup as a replacement for grenadine. It’s sweet, but it lacks the same fruity and tangy flavor.

But, you may modify the above-mentioned method to include these notes into your own orgeat syrup. To make a grenadine-like substitute, try with citrus fruits, rhubarb, cherry, or cranberry juice.

One tablespoon of store-bought orgeat syrup contains 9.5g of sugar. It has a comparable sugar content as grenadine syrup and may be used in equal amounts.

4.Best Budget Option to Replace Grenadine: Fruit juice

Fruit juice is an intriguing choice if you want to keep the color and sweetness of grenadine but don’t mind the altered consistency.

Juice is affordable and widely available. Also, you may combine various juices to produce a flavor that you want. We propose substituting the following juices for grenadine:

• If you like the sour and tangy flavor of grenadine, tart cherry juice is for you.
• Cranberry juice tastes almost same.
• Pomegranate juice is another great choice since it is the major component in grenadine.
• If you prefer a sweet and fruity drink, raspberry juice is a fantastic choice.
• If you want to balance the sweetness of these diverse juices, use a tiny amount of lemon juice.

The disadvantage of employing juice is that the syrupy quality of grenadine is lost. To get this thicker consistency, we suggest using honey or maple syrup. You may obtain a near match by substituting the amount of grenadine in your cocktail recipe with a blend of 85% juice and 15% honey.

5. Best Grenadine Substitute for Strong Alcoholic Drinks: Cassis Liqueur

Crème de cassis, often known as cassis liqueur, is a popular after-dinner drink. It is often used to produce kir.

Macerating black currants yields creme de cassis. The liquor’s rich and sweet taste comes from black currants. These fruits also have a sour flavor similar to grenadine. The syrupy nature of the liquor makes it an intriguing substitute for grenadine.

Cassis liqueur, on the other hand, may be extremely sweet and heavy. We propose adjusting your mixed drink recipe to obtain the right proportion. To balance out the sweetness of cassis liqueur, add components like lemon juice, ginger, or orange bitter.

Cassis liqueur is a powerful alcoholic drink. It contains an ABV of 25% on average, however this amount varies across brands. It is not a replacement for a non-alcoholic beverage!

Adding crème de cassis instead of grenadine will increase the amount of alcohol in your mixed drink. To prevent making a cocktail that is excessively powerful, you will need to modify the quantities of the various components.

Replace the grenadine with an equivalent amount of creme de cassis. To prevent making a cocktail that is overly powerful, lower the amounts of the other alcoholic materials by about 25%. Then, to taste, add lemon juice or orange bitter.

Final Thoughts

Grenadine’s sweet, fruity, and tart flavor complements any mixed cocktail. If you run out of grenadine syrup, make your own using pomegranate and lemon juice.

You may also use a grenadine alternative in the formula of your favorite drink. We believe that pomegranate molasses is one of the closest alternatives.

If you don’t mind changing the flavor of your mixed drink, try raspberry syrup, orgeat syrup, or a fruit juice mixture. Cassis liqueur is an intriguing replacement to try if you want to create a robust cocktail.