Grenadine

Some people make New Year Resolutions to eat right and lose weight. What fun is that? One of my New Year Resolutions was to make more cocktails! That is far more fun to discuss with friends, rather than the latest diet craze. The problem is that I haven't kept this resolution any better than those of years past.
Lately I have found myself bored with beer. We have had the same brands in our local liquor store for years. I think I have reached the end of finding anything new and exciting in the beer world of Fairbanks. When I look at the wall of liquors, it seems that the combination of flavors could be endless. Plus, I kind of like the idea of unwinding with a cocktail at the end of the day. The only problem is that starting a home bar can be expensive, especially when most of the decent bottles of liquor in Fairbanks cost over $30. So, I will start with some of the basics and hopefully jazz things up with homemade liquors and mixers. Grenadine is probably one of the most recognized staples of any bar. The bright red color adds a punch to many cocktails, or in this case a Shirley Temple. Nobody said my resolution was to drink more alcohol cocktails! The only problem is that it is pure corn syrup and food coloring. Homemade grenadine is really easy to make, and adds a little more zing than the store bought kind. The pomegranate juice can be expensive, but I find the stuff in the health food aisle is a bit less expensive than what you find in the cooler section in the grocery store. There are a couple recommended methods for making homemade grenadine and I decided to combine them. This recipe adds flavor along with a bit alcohol to make it shelf stable. When I tasted this I was actually really surprised how much it tasted like the real thing. Well, a little less syrupy, more flavorful version of the real thing. This recipe makes nearly a quart of grenadine, so get a few smaller bottles and share it with your friends as a Valentine's treat.

Grenadine
adapted from here and here
4 cups 100% pomegranate juice, fresh or bottled
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp grand marnier

Bring pomegranate juice to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer until juice is reduced by half. Remove from heat and immediately add two cups sugar, stir to dissolve. Add pomegranate molasses and
Grand Marnier, stir. Allow to cool and bottle.