Friday Night Cocktails: Grenadine

Today we’re featuring one of the best known and most versatile cocktail syrups: Grenadine. Old hands will know it as a vital ingredient in refreshments as diverse as Luigi, Tar, Skipper, Club, Sweet, Down Under, Hawaiian Vodka, Honolulu ,Cherry Julep, Clear Skies Ahead, Port Antonio, Alice Springs, St Vincent and Morning. Don’t try them all in one night!

For centuries,etymologists and linguistic purists have debated fiercely about the origins of grenadine in cocktail bars from the Kerguelen Islands to Nuuk. LSS is happy to set the record straight for all humankind for all time. Grenadine is made from water, sugar and pomegranate juice. Hence the name, derived from the French grenade, meaning “pomegranate”. Which in turn was derived from Latin Granatum. Spanish speakers have a problem. Their noun granada does indeed derive from Latin for pomegranate and means the same thing. But the ancient and venerable City of Granada takes its name from the Arabic garnatah. It was after this town that the Grenadine Islands were named. Sorted.

Of course there isn’t time to list the recipes for all the wonderful drinks that we name-checked above. We’ll just do two, one long and one short, both the from The Ultimate Cocktail Book by Hamlyn.

Alice Springs: In a shaker, put 4-5 ice cubes. Add 1 measure of fresh lemon juice, and the same of orange juice. Add 1/2 teaspoon of grenadine, 3 measures of gin and three drops of angostura bitters. Close off and shake ’til they rattle. Pour into something in the general region of a hurricane glass and top up with cold soda water. Decorate with slices of orange, lemon or cocktail cherries

Luigi: In a fresh shaker add 4-5 ice cubes, 1 measure of fresh orange juice, 1 measure of dry vermouth, 1/2 measure of Cointreau and 2 measures of gin. Shake a pour without cubes to a proper cocktail glass, Decorate with a slice of blood orange.

#luigi #alicesprings #grenadine #cocktails