Category Archives: Cocktails

Perfect Pomegranate Libations

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It’s pomegranate season and with a tree in the backyard producing several of these exotic fruits, we decided to experiment a bit. Sure, the deep red seeds are a wonderful accessory to salads and soups but today we’re bringing them to the cocktail world. Deseeding and juicing a pomegranate sounds intimidating, but we have some easy tips below to get you started.

Happy Thirsty Thursday.

Pomegranate Manhattan

1 ½ ounces Rye Whiskey or Bourbon (you can use brandy if other options aren’t available)
1 ½ ounce fresh pomegranate juice 
1 tsp. superfine sugar
2 – 3 dashes of Angostura bitters

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice. Shake vigorously until sugar has dissolved and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds or maraschino cherry.

Pomegranate Margarita

1 ½ ounces silver tequila
1 ½ ounce fresh pomegranate juice 
½ ounce triple sec
2 ounces fresh lime juice
½ – 1 ounce simple syrup or agave nectar
Course salt for rimming (optional)

Preparation:
Rim glass with course salt. (optional) Place all ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice. Shake and pour over ice. Garnish with fresh pomegranate. Tip: to make salt stick to the rim of your cocktail glass,  wipe rim with lime wedge.

Aprons & Stilettos

1 ½ ounces vodka
1 ½ ounces  fresh pomegranate juice 
Juice from ½ blood orange, about 1 oz  (navel orange is fine, but if used I would decrease the amount of triple sec)
½ ounce Triple Sec
¼  ounce elderflower liqueur 
Sugar Rim

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with sugar.  Tip: to make sugar stick to the rim of your cocktail glass,  wipe rim with orange wedge.

Pomegranate Tips: 

What’s the best way to deseed and juice a pomegranate? First, fill a large bowl with water, cut the pomegranate into quarters, submerge the fruit and begin removing the seeds underwater. The membrane will float and the seeds will sink. Remove the membrane and drain water with a colander.

Next, you have two options for juicing. The first method, and the method I prefer, is to quickly pulse the seeds in a blender and strain using a sieve in order to remove the seeds / pulp. The second method, which my sister shared with me, is to cut the pomegranate in half and juice on a juicer as you would with a lemon. Be careful and make sure you have your APRONS on as the seeds have a tendency to pop and stain.

A Thanksgiving Cocktail

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With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner we’ve decided to share with you a twist on a classic cocktail (and personal favorite of mine): the sidecar. Traditionally made with cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice, this variation adds aromatic spicy notes and apple infusion for the perfect winter cocktail.

A Turkey in a Sidecar

½ ounce Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
1 ½ ounces chilled mulled cider (I have a quick and easy recipe for this)
Brown sugar and pumpkin spice for rimming (I found a jar of pumpkin pie spice at Trader Joe’s for $1.99)

 

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a shaker with a handful of ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with a mixture of brown sugar and pumpkin spices (optional).  Tip: to make sugar/spices stick to the rim of your cocktail glass,  wipe rim with orange or lemon wedge.

1 Batch of Mulled Cider

3 cups apple cider
1 – 2 cinnamon sticks
3 – 4 orange or lemon slices

 

Preparation:
Bring cider, cinnamon sticks and citrus slices to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes.

Recipe Variations:
Feel free to dress up the above recipe with various combinations of spices and fruits. If you have cloves, allspice berries or star anise they also make a great addition to the cider. Don’t forget to strain the cider before cooling down in the fridge when smaller spices are added.