You're Probably Storing Grenadine Wrong

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If scenes from movies and TV are to be believed, fixing yourself a cocktail at the end of a long day simply means pouring from a couple of bottles on a bar cart. While it's a very stylish way to store a whiskey decanter with matching glasses, it's not necessarily the place to keep your mixers. Beyond the fact that you might want to enjoy a cold drink, some mixers like grenadine should be refrigerated after opening to keep them at their freshest.

Grenadine is traditionally made from pomegranate juice and sugar, taking its name from the French word for the fruit: grenade. It adds a refreshing and tart-sweet taste to drinks, but it's used just as much for visual impact. The bright red syrup is the key to a tequila sunrise or a candy-colored Shirley Temple. Most commercially made grenadine is no longer made with fruit and is, essentially, a syrup of water and sugar or sweetener that's artificially flavored and colored. These aren't ingredients that are going to go bad if you leave the bottle on the counter overnight, especially with the addition of preservatives. But once the bottle is open, the full flavor of the syrup will start to fade if it's not kept cool. 

Homemade grenadine is a different story. With no preservatives and made with a traditional base of juice rather than water, it needs to be refrigerated as soon as it's made.

Thanks to preservatives and a high sugar content, an unopened bottle of grenadine will be shelf stable for one to two years, as indicated by the best-before date on the label. If you've stored it correctly, meaning out of sunlight and away from heat, you can also expect it to be safe for several months past this date, though the flavor won't be at its prime.

How long grenadine lasts in the fridge after opening will really depend on the brand and the recipe. In general, fruit-based syrups should be used within four to six months, while those without real pomegranate will last longer, but it's always best to check the label. For example, Liber & Co Grenadine lasts for 12 months in the fridge after opening, despite being made with juice. Homemade grenadine should be used within two to four weeks, and keeping it in an airtight container is essential to keeping it fresh for as long as possible.

Regardless of the type of grenadine you have in the fridge, it should be tossed out if you spot any signs of spoilage. This could be an unpleasant smell, a cloudy and dull appearance, or visible mold on the surface. Remember that grenadine is a non-alcoholic mixer, so if you open it and get a whiff of alcohol, it's a sure-fire sign that it's gone bad.