Are you searching for a festive holiday cocktail to brighten your celebrations? This vibrant and refreshing Pomegranate Martini is a perfectly balanced blend of sweet and tangy flavors to tantalize your tastebuds.
We've also included some options for Pomegranate Martini Mocktails as well, so everyone at your party can enjoy this bright cheery drink.
Read on to learn how easy it is to make this your new signature holiday cocktail.
While I may not have imbibed, I learned the secrets to the perfect martini from an early age. Martinis were the drink of choice in my family. I remember many a holiday with a pitcher of martinis, stirred not shaken, served to the adults before the main meal was served.
Besides creating the perfect balance of ingredients for your guests, one of the keys to a truly great martini is to chill the ingredients and glasses before serving. The cold glasses will keep the drink cold without needing to serve it over ice, which will dilute the drink.
Do Martinis use Gin or Vodka?
The short answer is either. Originally, the drink was made with gin. Eventually it shifted to vodka, which gained popularity over gin thanks to James Bond.
Most bartenders will ask which spirit you prefer when you order.
Sugar Rim on a Martini
Purists will balk at the thought of sugaring the rim of a martini. The drink was originally crisp with the gin and vermouth. Other variations have developed that are sweeter, the Lemon Drop Martini for example.
This drink is lightly sweet with the addition to the pomegranate juice. Adding the sugared rim balances the tartness of the other ingredients, but more importantly adds a festive touch to the drink. The naturally red martini with lime slice garnish would look equally lovely with white, red, green, silver or gold rimming sugar.
Rimming Sugar is coarser than table sugar. But, use table sugar if that's what you have. You can even mix it in a bowl with a few drops of food coloring and/or flavoring before garnishing your drinks.
Pomegranate Martini Mocktail
You can use an alcohol free Gin (like this one from Free Spirits) or Vodka, some orange flavored sparkling water and a splash of orange blossom water in the recipe below.
If you don't have the alcohol free gin, here's another delicious alcohol free version to offer those that do not wish to imbibe:
- ¼ cup pomegranate juice
- ½ ounce agave syrup
- ½ ounce lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
- ¼ cup sparkling water with orange essence
- garnish as below with rimming sugar, pomegranate arils and lime slices
More Martini Recipes from #OurFamilyTable
Celebrate the holidays with one of these festive martini recipes:
Holiday Martini recipes
- Gingerbread Martini from Creative Cynchronicity
- Pumpkin Martini from Karen's Kitchen Stories
- White Chocolate Martini from Art of Natural Living
We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you're at it, join our Pinterest board, too!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups pomegranate juice
- 2 ounces citrus flavored gin or vodka
- 1 ounce triple sec (or other orange flavored liquor)
- 1 cup ice
- rimming sugar (optional garnish)
- fresh lime slices (optional garnish)
- fresh pomegranate arils (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Optional: At least one hour before serving. Wet the edge of martini glasses lightly with water (or lime or pomegranate juice). Dip in rimming sugar. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.rimming sugar
- Place pomegranate juice, vodka, triple sec and ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake ingredients until combined and chilled. Alternatively, Place in a pitcher and stir until combined and chilled.1 ½ cups pomegranate juice, 2 ounces citrus flavored gin or vodka, 1 ounce triple sec, 1 cup ice
- Add some pomegranate arils to the prepared martini glasses. Pour pomegranate martini over the arils. Add lime slice for garnish and serve immediately.fresh pomegranate arils, fresh lime slices
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Until next time, happy eating!
~Audrey
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