Say you’re making two drinks this weekend: Shirley Temples for the kids and a round of Jack Roses for the adults. The grenadine for the first is in the mixer aisle of almost any supermarket. The bottle that makes the second taste right usually is not. Mainstream red syrup and pomegranate grenadine share a name and very little else, so the store you pick depends on which drink you’re pouring. This guide covers both, aisle by aisle and brand by brand.
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Read the Label First: Two Products, One Name
Traditional grenadine is a cocktail syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar. The name comes from grenade, the French word for pomegranate. It adds color, body, and a sweet-tart fruit note in one pour, which is why bartenders use grenadine in the Tequila Sunrise, the Jack Rose, the Ward 8, and the Bacardi cocktail, and parents reach for it in the Roy Rogers, non-alcoholic drinks, and other novelty beverages for kids.
The best-known bottle on American shelves contains no pomegranate at all. Retailer listings for Rose’s give the ingredients as high-fructose corn syrup, water, citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium benzoate, Red 40, natural and artificial flavors, and Blue 1. Its nutrition facts panel lists 20 grams of sugar per 2-tablespoon serving. That’s red sugar water with a fruity aroma. It colors a drink perfectly well. It does not taste like fruit.
The fix takes ten seconds in the aisle. Turn the bottle around and check the first ingredient:
- Pomegranate juice first: the real thing, built the old French way.
- Sugar first, juice further down: a bar syrup with some fruit, color varies by label.
- Corn sweetener first, FD&C Red 40 on the list: a flavored red sweetener, fine for kids’ drinks and soda fountain nostalgia.
Color is a second clue. Dyed versions pour bright neon red. Fruit-based ones pour a darker garnet, because the pigment comes from juice. Orange flower water (sometimes labeled orange blossom water) on the panel signals a producer chasing the classic French style, and it adds a floral lift and depth of flavor that survives dilution.
Brand by Brand: What Is in Each Grenadine Bottle
Three of the brands below lead with pomegranate juice and use no synthetic dye: Liber & Co, Small Hand Foods, and Jack Rudy. Collins, a bar brand dating to 1934, now adds real pomegranate juice and colors with purple carrot extract. Ingredient details come from manufacturer pages and retailer label listings checked in October 2026; formulas change, so the bottle in your hand is the final word.
| Brand | Base | Color source | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rose’s | High-fructose corn syrup | Red 40 and Blue 1 | Shirley Temple, Roy Rogers |
| Collins | Real pomegranate juice and sugar (reformulated) | Purple carrot extract | Budget step up from neon |
| Monin | Sugar | Varies by label and market | Cafe Italian sodas, volume |
| Liber & Co Real Grenadine | Pomegranate (65% juice) | Fruit juice, no dyes | Jack Rose, Ward 8 |
| Small Hand Foods | Pressed pomegranate and organic sugar | Pomegranate only | Purists, stirred drinks |
| Jack Rudy Small Batch | Pomegranate juice | Whole pressed fruit | Tequila and rye drinks |
Monin is the one to check closely. Some US listings show FD&C Red 40, while Monin’s current US product page and other listings show vegetable juice and beta-carotene for color. The same name can sit on two different formulas in the same store.
Which Aisle Holds Grenadine?
In a supermarket, look in the non-alcoholic cocktail mixer section, usually near the margarita mix, tonic, and bottled lime juice, not with the soda or the coffee syrups. Grenadine contains no alcohol, so grocery stores in every state can sell it. Liquor stores carry it too, and they are where the craft bottles live.
Walmart, Target, and Supermarkets
Walmart stocks the familiar red bottle in most locations, usually in the condiment or drink mixer section. Ordering on the site for store pickup skips the aisle hunt, though third-party sellers handle some larger sizes and set their own shipping terms. Target carries the mainstream bottle at hundreds of stores, shelved with the cocktail syrups or in the juice aisle depending on layout; the app shows local stock before you drive over. Kroger, Publix, Safeway, H-E-B, and Hy-Vee keep a mainstream bottle near the drink mixes. If you’re already planning a big run, our grocery store shopping guide covers what else is worth grabbing there.
Liquor Stores, Total Wine, and BevMo
Most neighborhood shops shelve the mixer alongside simple syrup and Angostura bitters rather than with the spirits. Specialty shops are where Liber & Co and Jack Rudy Cocktail Co turn up, and often the only local option stocking more than one brand. Total Wine & More is the best single stop, because its superstores put mass-market and small-batch labels side by side; BevMo covers much of the West Coast with a similar mix. Yelp is a quick way to find well-reviewed shops nearby.
Ordering Online: Amazon, Delivery, and Craft Suppliers
Amazon #ad has the widest selection, from the 1-liter diner jug to small-batch bottles made with real pomegranate juice. The review section is the useful part, since thin-pour and off-taste complaints surface there fast. Check the listing photos for the ingredient panel before you buy, because marketplace sellers sometimes ship an older formula.
Instacart pulls from local grocery stores and liquor shops, so a bottle for tonight’s mixed drinks can arrive the same afternoon in most metro areas. Total Wine & More ships to many states from its own site. For bartender-grade flavored syrups, Cocktail Kingdom and KegWorks stock craft labels, and Liber & Co sells direct in 375 ml and 750 ml bottles.
Will Red 40 Laws Pull Rose’s Off the Shelf?
Not as of October 2026, and the two state laws people cite most don’t do it yet. West Virginia passed HB 2354 in 2025, which bans Red 40, Blue 1, and five other dyes in food sold in the state starting January 1, 2028, but a federal judge blocked that retail portion with a preliminary injunction in December 2025, Food Safety News reported. The school-meal portion stayed in effect.
California’s AB 418 bans Red No. 3, not Red 40, in food sold there from January 1, 2027. Its separate school food law, AB 2316, covers Red 40 only in public school meals. If you want a dye-free bottle regardless, the fruit-first brands above are the answer today, and the label is still the only reliable check.
Five Bottles Worth Buying, Matched to the Drink
Best all-rounder: Liber & Co Real Grenadine. Pomegranate juice, cane sugar, and orange flower water, with no dyes or artificial flavors. This is what a craft bar pour tastes like. Check price on Amazon
Best budget: Rose’s Grenadine. The familiar red bottle from behind every diner counter. Corn syrup based, very sweet, no real fruit, but it delivers the nostalgic red color kids’ drinks need. Check price on Amazon
Best for volume: Monin Grenadine Syrup. A bar syrup from the French syrup house, sold in a 750 ml bottle that takes a speed pourer. Consistent case to case, which is why cafes use it for Italian sodas. Check price on Amazon
Best small batch: Jack Rudy Cocktail Co Small Batch Grenadine. A Charleston, South Carolina producer pressing whole pomegranates, with sugar and orange flower water and no artificial color. Pairs well with tequila and rye. Check price on Amazon
Best for purists: Small Hand Foods Grenadine. The San Francisco bottle that helped drive the craft syrup revival. Pomegranate juice, organic cane sugar, and pomegranate concentrate, nothing else. Check price on Amazon
Bottle size matters more than brand for most households. Half an ounce per drink means a 12-ounce bottle covers roughly 24 cocktails, and an opened bottle fades in color and flavor long before a 1-liter jug empties. Buy small unless you host often. A copper mug bar cart doesn’t need a gallon of red syrup.
The Twenty-Minute Alternative: Homemade Grenadine
Homemade grenadine costs less than any craft bottle. The basic grenadine recipe needs one saucepan and two ingredients, a method bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler popularized and Serious Eats later adapted.
- Measure 1 cup of 100 percent pomegranate juice. POM Wonderful is the easiest brand to find in a supermarket.
- Combine it with 1 cup of cane sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir only until the sugar dissolves, since a hard boil flattens the fruit.
- Cool, pour into an airtight container, and refrigerate. A spoon of pomegranate molasses and a few drops of orange blossom water add weight.
The reason a heavy boil ruins it: the bright, tart top notes of pomegranate are the first thing heat drives off, leaving a jammy, cooked flavor. Don’t swap in pomegranate molasses alone either. That Middle Eastern pantry staple is barely sweet and far thicker, and it turns a cocktail muddy.
Start with the drink you make most. If it’s a Tequila Sunrise or a mocktail for the kids, buy grenadine in the supermarket mixer aisle at Walmart or Target and spend nothing extra. If it’s a Jack Rose, order a pomegranate-first bottle online or ask a specialty liquor shop what they carry. If neither fits your timeline, spend twenty minutes at the stove instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is grenadine just cherry syrup?
No. Cherry syrup is made from cherries, while this syrup is built on pomegranate. The confusion comes from the maraschino cherry that garnishes most drinks made with it, plus budget bottles whose artificial flavors read as generically fruity. Torani and Monin both sell cherry flavor separately.
What is a substitute for it?
Pomegranate syrup is the closest match, or pomegranate molasses thinned with simple syrup. Hibiscus tea reduced with sugar delivers similar color and acidity. Cranberry juice with a spoon of sugar works in a pinch, though it thins the drink and shifts the flavor profile toward tart.
Does it contain alcohol?
No. It is a non-alcoholic syrup, which is why it sells in supermarkets and why kids’ sodas like the Roy Rogers use it. Some liquor stores stock it purely because that is where bar supplies live, not because of the contents.
How much goes into a Roy Rogers or a Shirley Temple?
About half an ounce per 8-ounce glass, over cola for the first and lemon-lime soda for the second, with a maraschino garnish. Bar recipes range from a quarter ounce to a full ounce, so pour to the color you want rather than to a measurement.
Does an open bottle need refrigeration?
Yes, once the seal is broken. A store-bought bottle carrying sodium benzoate or potassium sorbate tolerates a cool pantry, but refrigeration protects the red color and the fruit note. A homemade batch with no preservative keeps roughly two weeks in the fridge, and that short shelf life is the main practical argument for buying rather than making.
Editorial Note
Reviewed by the wheretobuyguides.com editorial team. Ingredient lists and state dye-law status checked October 2026. Retailers rotate cocktail syrups seasonally, so confirm stock with a local store before driving out.