Stirrings Grenadine - Coming Soon

I was watching Unwrapped on the Food Network earlier and they ran a segment on a company named Stirrings. They produce premium mixers and have recently gotten into the "ingredient" business. I googled them and to my surprise I find grenadine and it doesn't sound like the standard corn syrup stuff we usually have to settle for. Here's the description from their site:

AUTHENTIC GRENADINE

Over the last 40 years, commercial grenadine has devolved from its regal origins to nothing more than red #40 and corn syrup. Derived from the Spanish word "Granada," meaning pomegranate, grenadine was made by crushing lush pomegranate seeds and blending them with sugar. We've gone back and created the product the way it was intended: bold red, sweet, with a bright pomegranate flavor.

** Available in April 2006 **

Its not available yet but should be out soon (it's April now!).

There were some other interesting items there as well like blood orange bitters and clarified key lime (not sure how that will be).

See their site for more info:
http://www.stirrings.com/

That is interesting. The products represent a nice variety and some relatively obscure (to the average home bar tender) flavors. I'm curious as to the quality of the grenadine, as it seems to be a sugar syrup made from pomm juice instead of water. That's a unique approach.

I know herbal vodka infusions have been all the rage in martinis in recent years, but to see mass produced herb syrups.. that is odd. I would like to try the rosemary "essence" (herbed sugar water), as it seems inspired by ninnie.

I still think I'd rather stick with the classic rum and rosemary combo though.

They seem to use a lot of extracts in the line. Almost all the flavors are extracts. That's just too easy.

-grin-

All in all, I think this represents a shift toward better and higher quality cocktail ingredients..and that is very good.

Ahu

Thanks for the info. I'm going to look for the Blood Orange Bitters too. I've seen their mixers at World Market, so I'm hopeful they'll have the "ingredients" as well.

JTD

I just watched that last night! Interesting company. I wonder how different their Triple Sec tastes.

[ Edited by: hodadhank 2006-04-11 09:01 ]

Thanks to a tip from Ted Haigh a.k.a. Dr Cocktail on his blog (see article here), I finally got over to a William-Sonoma the other day and picked up their wonderful grenadine. This is really good stuff. Ted says it's his current grenadine of choice and I can see why. It is made from real pomegranate juice and pure cane sugar. The taste is fruity and light with just the right amount of sweetness. In comparison, Trader Vic's grenadine has a fake candy syrup taste. The W-S grenadine is not nearly as thick as Vic's either. Before I got this, I was not much of a grenadine fan, but this has changed that. Drinks that call for it definitely improve in taste a notch or two.

It's normally $8. They had it on sale for $6. If you have a W-S nearby, go grab a bottle and give it a try.

Thanks for the tip GatorRob! There's a WS about 8 miles from my house. Looks like I'll be making a stop on my way home from work tomorrow!

• I haven't seen the Stirring's Grenadine anywhere yet...

On 2006-07-12 15:35, johnman wrote:
...

• I haven't seen the Stirring's Grenadine anywhere yet...

http://www.famousfoods.com/staugr2.html

Now I have to get the Stirring's AND the stuff from Williams - Sonoma.

I just tasted Stirring's grenadine alongside Torani pomegranate syrup. I agree with GatorRob that is is "light and fruity". It has a pleasant not-too-sweet flavor straight from the bottle. However, I don't think there is enough flavor, sweetness, or color for making cocktails, because I think other ingredients will overpower this grenadine. The Torani has a more intense pomegranate flavor, is sweeter, and much darker red.

I'll try making a cocktail with the 2 brands and do another comparison. I used to use Trader Vic's grenadine but now I prefer syrups made with cane sugar like Torani.

For the money, I think perhaps making my own or buying Torani is the path I will take.

I've posted this before, but..

There is a company called Brownwood Acres that makes a pure pomm concentrate. You can mix this with sugar syrup (or a commercial grenadine that contains no real pomm) and get the best grenadine you are likely to ever sample.

I use one part of the concentrate to 2 parts syrup and then add a little white rum to preserve it. And the bottle of concentrate will make three fifths of final product.

If the problem with grenadine is the lack of real pommegranate, then try this method for putting it back in.

Or you can grind up the fruit itself and do the cheesecloth thing and the cookery, but that takes forever and is only marginally better. Trust me.

Ahu

Fraternal Order of Moai

[ Edited by: KuKuAhu 2006-07-17 09:29 ]

http://www.brownwoodacres.com/pomegranate.htm

On 2006-07-16 13:02, thejab wrote:
I just tasted Stirring's grenadine alongside Torani pomegranate syrup. I agree with GatorRob that is is "light and fruity".

Jab, maybe I misunderstood your post, but I wasn't reviewing the Stirring's, but the Williams-Sonoma brand. Are they actually the same thing under the covers?

On 2006-07-17 10:21, GatorRob wrote:

On 2006-07-16 13:02, thejab wrote:
I just tasted Stirring's grenadine alongside Torani pomegranate syrup. I agree with GatorRob that is is "light and fruity".

Jab, maybe I misunderstood your post, but I wasn't reviewing the Stirring's, but the Williams-Sonoma brand. Are they actually the same thing under the covers?

Sorry, I misunderstood because the topic was Stirrings grenadine, so I assumed you were describing that product. My mistake, I should have read your post more carefully.

Well, actually, I probably shouldn't have posted it in this thread, but I was reluctant to start a new thread just for a particular brand of grenadine.

Interesting though, that your experience with the Stirrings was very similar to mine with the W-S.

[ Edited by: GatorRob 2006-07-17 12:58 ]

I have both the Williams Sonoma Grenadine and the Stirrings Authentic Grenadine. They taste very similar. It wouldn't surprise me if Stirrings produced the grenadine for Williams Sonoma.

I have found them both to be superior to the neon red stuff that is commonly out there. I have also found that they are not quite as sweet as say Rose's, so you have to adjust the ration to lemon or lime juice a little.

The Williams Sonoma product here is about $9/bottle...that is approaching $1/ounce. You can get 2 12oz bottles of Stirrings for $9.99 here:

http://www.famousfoods.com/staugr2.html

I got 4 bottles total and something else for $5.75 shipping. Very reasonable.

Just wanted to put in another vote for the Stirrings Grenadine. It has a bright, fresh, "berry" aroma when you open the bottle and none of that cough medicine smell or taste. The flavor is fruity and not too sweet, but it will definitely affect the color of your drink -- it will not be as red as you may be accustomed to seeing it.

I, too, like the Stirrings Grenadine, though I have no "real" grenadine to compare. It sure beats the heck out of the common stuff on the liquor store shelves. Nice taste, very natural, not artificial.

I also had the Stirring's Mojito mixer, which I found to be extremely natural - which makes sense given the lack of artificial crap in the list of ingredients. It was good, but I just didn't care for the key lime taste.

So far, though, I'd have no problem buying and using a Stirrings product.

We just have to convince them to make orgeat and passion fruit syrup and...

Yes, Scotts, an orgeat and a passion fruit would be welcome from that particular venture... I have a bottle of their blood orange bitters in the fridge and it's nice, orangey, not too sweet, but not spectacularly different from Fee Brothers.

Has anyone tried the Stirrings (Non-Alcoholic) Triple Sec or their Lime Cordial?

I have both the Blood Orange and Triple Sec, but I haven't opened either because I just know that I won't use them up in time. I am curious about their Triple Sec - but not enough to open it for 1/2 ounce...

Stirrings is fine enough, but it lacks a certain something in terms or what grenadine gives the eye - red color.

I don't use "Grenadine" anymore. Following Beachbum Berry's recommendation I now use only Monin Pomegranate syrup, it's red and has a more natural flavor than any Grenadine that I've ever tried.

While I don't have that much to compare to, I must say, the Stirrings is really far superior to the Rose's. And while color is indeed a consideration, I place it second to taste.

The Professah Humming Flowah will be researching grenadine syrups this month, and will post full reports as results come in.

Looking forward to your reports, Mr. Mayor.

If the Professah is attending the New England FOM Rum Tasting I will be bringing some Stirrings and some home-made.

Actually, the Wongrenadine is a fine product. Having put it to rigorous testing, I wish I could remember the results. Science can be so difficult, especially when it's rigorous.

Well I made some home-made last night. 100% organic pomegranate juice, reduced to about 2/3, and the added 1.5 cups of turbinado sugar. The color is not that pleasant red, that's for sure, but I was out of the evaporated cane juice sugar. It tastes very good, but I have to admit that I have no idea how it's really supposed to taste since I grew up on Rose's and haven't opened the Stirrings. We'll find out how they compare...

Scottes - from my experience, the Turbinado is probably way to dark, and will effect the flavor negatively. Heating that tends to bring out the molasses flavor, which can be too dark and rich and really overpower.

I like to use organic cane sugar, like Zulka. It's very light, but not white, and has the lightest hint of raw sugar. The granules are just fun to play with too.

When I can't get that, I use 3 parts white cane to 1 part demerara sugar.

I'd also say get the Pom concentrate of you can, I believe Knudsen makes some, but Carlo is the brand I use whenever I can get my hands on some.

I'm nuts though, I like my Grenadine STRONG, but damn it works well in a mixed drink.

Rosie's makes everything taste like cherries -- I personally hate the stuff. Only use it when I want to make a cherry coke or cherry 7up. Stirrings lacks the red color, that most people are used to, but it does add a nice little pom taste.

I'm gonna try some of the other brands suggested above as well as the blood orange triple sec.

I actually do have some pomegranate concentrate - mix 3 parts water with 1 part concentrate to get pomegranate juice. And I got some more cane sugar today, so I might tray a batch with that.

As a kid I probably had a million Shirley Temples and I always ordered mine with a triple blast of grenadine. The flavor was about the same as the syrup in a jar of cocktail cherries. As a kid it was a favorite of mine. Did wonders to the ginger ale.

Also as a kid growing up in Connecticut I got into pomegranates. We'd get mouthfuls of the "berries" (as we'd call them), then after squishing them and drinking the juice, we'd spit out the seeds like a machine gun. Cheap thrills!

I've been drinking Pom since it came out and have tried others as I encounter them, but they all say they're made from concentrate with natural flavoring added. Better than nothing though and a lot easier than juicing pomegranates, although the juice from fresh pomegranates tastes better than juice from concentrates.

Whenever I ran across the Stirrings, I thought it was a great find. It has a pomegranate flavor as opposed to cherry, so I keep that on hand. I don't use it that much though. I think home-made using pomegranate concentrate is the best. Well, I guess that depends on which concentrate you use and if there are additives. As long as it is 100% pomegranate with no preservatives or enhancements you'll have a winner.

Scottes—No need to cook the pomegranate juice to reduce it (the cooking adversely affects the juice). You have concentrate, which is already reduced without cooking. Use that. If you have a concentrate like Fruit Fast, each tbs has the juice of one pomegranate. Even your 3:1 concentrate has reduction by cooking beat. Try it straight. Make funny faces.

The stuff I make now is not grenadine because I make it with Wray & Nephew White Overproof (my cooking, infusion, fruit-soak, and pyrotechnic favorite), so I refer to it as pomegranate syrup and use it in place of grenadine whenever possible (except when making Shirley Temples for kids :) ).

I'm planning to make a batch using fresh pomegranates soon. I was going to do it this past weekend, but the pomegranates at the store looked awful.

Grammar got me this time.

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2007-10-09 08:31 ]

Scottes—No need to cook the pomegranate juice to reduce it (the cooking adversely affects the juice). You have concentrate, which is already reduced without cooking. Use that. If you have a concentrate like Fruit Fast, each tbs has the juice of one pomegranate. Even your 3:1 concentrate has reduction by cooking beat. Try it straight. Make funny faces.

Yep, I will be making a batch with the concentrate within the next couple days. The only reason that I didn't make both at once was because I ran out of good sugar. Even then I used turbinado in the first batch, and I'm not so sure I like it too much. The concentrate should be better.

But... Do you think I should make a 1:1 concentrate:sugar? Or 1:2? or 1:1 concentrate:water and THEN 1:1 with sugar?

If your concentrate requires 3 parts of water to 1 part concentrate to get it back to its juice proportions, I wouldn't dilute it at all and then use one-third sugar or less (myself). I think "authentic" grenadine is candy sweet, so that would call for 2:1 concentrate to sugar or 1:1.

As I said, I don't really use much grenadine anymore 'cause I prefer my pomegranate syrup, which I make at 4:1 to 3:1 since I have great rock candy syrup to use along with it. Same thing with orgeat. I keep mine less sweet 'cause I can always adjust the sweetness with the RC syrup.

But what if you don't have any RC syrup on hand. You have to rely on the grenadine to stand on its own merits. In that case, you might want it sweeter.

If after you're done it turns out you prefer it to be more diluted, you can add water out of sequence (if you're gonna dilute, it's better earlier on) and make note of the amount for future batches. You can't dilute first and then undilute later.

As for the sugar, I actually like turbinado (and other varieties) in my pomegranate syrup sometimes, but to maintain a more pure pomegranate flavor, I'd stick with varieties like evaporated cane (as you have indicated).