Sweet Sunrise: The Ideal Mocktail for a Casual Brunch

This drink has only two ingredients and they're very common. You might even have everything you need right there in your kitchen. While it is possible to create a perfectly good sweet sunrise with store-bought orange juice and grenadine, we're going to recommend the theory that "fresh is best."

First of all, this is one drink that definitely deserves fresh-squeezed orange juice. It's not hard to do and you can go with an electric juicer or a very simple hand juicer. Two average-sized oranges should be more than enough to make a single drink. You can also juice up a bunch of oranges and store any excess in the refrigerator to make the next drink that much easier.

The second factor in the sweet sunrise is the grenadine. Contrary to popular belief, it's not a cherry-flavored syrup, but a pomegranate one. It's sweet and delicious and very useful for a variety of drinks.

It's also very easy to make grenadine at home. You can use fresh pomegranate during the winter when the fruit is in season or use pomegranate juice any time of the year. Grenadine can last for a few weeks in the refrigerator. 

During strawberry season, consider putting a berry twist on the sunrise by making a fresh strawberry syrup to substitute for the grenadine. You can also give this drink a very peachy flavor with the sparkling peach sunrise recipe.

Grenadine is a fantastic ingredient for many non-alcoholic drinks. While you have the syrup in the fridge, mix up an old-fashioned Shirley Temple. It's a fantastic drink with two light sodas that you can still order it in many bars and restaurants and a favorite among kids.

For something a little heavier in flavor, it's hard to beat the Roy Rogers. This one simply mixes grenadine into the cola of your choice. If you enjoy a Cherry Coke, you'll find this one to be much better. That's especially true if you use a cane sugar cola like that from Jones Soda and a number of other small producers.