Grenadine
750ml pomegranate juice
1.5 cups sugar
45ml fresh lemon juice
Peel of one orangeBring 750ml of juice to a simmer over high heat. Add sugar, stir to dissolve. Add lemon juice, orange peel and gin, reduce heat to low, and simmer until reduced by half. Allow to cool, then strain and bottle.
By Sam Bygrave
Photography by Steve Brown
Presented by Aasha Sinha, Riley St Garage
Can you imagine getting hit on the head by a pomegranate? Who throws a pomegranate, anyway? Well, we can only suppose that the French were once fond of lobbing a pomegranate or two — the word grenade (you know, of the explosive, pull the pin and toss type) comes from the early French word for pomegranate, grenade.
According to Amy Stewart’s The Drunken Botanist, the pomegranate tree was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians and has its origins in the Middle East and Asia. It soon found its way to Europe and has been a fixture of French and European syrups and drinks since the 1800’s.
It’s sweet, it’s tart, and it gives a great pink hue to cocktails. We’ve opted for organic pomegranate juice that doesn’t come from concentrate, but if you can find enough fresh pomegranates and have the time to juice them yourself, this can give you the best results.
Notes on ingredients:
• Plymouth Gin is made at the Blackfriars Distillery in, you guessed it, Plymouth.
• Harry Craddock name-checked Plymouth Gin extensively in his 1930 book, The Savoy Cocktail Book.
• The botanicals in gin, in particular juniper and coriander seed, match well with citrus because they share similar aroma compounds.
• The use of a little gin in this recipe helps to prolong the life of the grenadine, which can last up to four weeks.
• Using the juice from fresh pomegranates is best!