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These must-make pomegranate cocktails highlight the best of this brilliant red fruit! Try the margarita, martini, mimosa and more.
Pomegranate makes magic in whatever it touches: salads, desserts and smoothies. One of the best ways we’ve found to use it? Pomegranate cocktails! The ruby red juice makes one brilliant, sweet tart mixed drink. As cocktail experts and certified mixologists, we’ve experimented and found it works beautifully in pomegranate-flavored spins on classic cocktails.
Add pomegranate juice to a Margarita and it’s the perfect balance to tequila and lime! Or try it in a Martini for a beautifully bright red spin. Even the classic Mimosa is better with a bit of vibrant juice!
Our top pomegranate cocktails to try
At the top of our list of pomegranate cocktails is a margarita variation that’s got us hooked: the Pomegranate Margarita! Sweet tart pomegranate juice pairs perfectly with tequila and lime, balanced with the orange perfume of Cointreau. You can use either pomegranate juice or fresh-squeezed juice from the fruit.
Ingredients: Pomegranate juice, tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, simple syrup
Here’s an impressive pomegranate cocktail: this Pomegranate Gin Fizz! The Gin Fizz is one of our favorite classic cocktails: sweet tart and refreshing, with a festive egg white foam. Take it over the top with this pomegranate spin: it elevates the sweet tart flavor and gives the drink a brilliant jewel-toned color!
Ingredients: Pomegranate juice, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, egg white, soda water
Looking for a fun pomegranate cocktail as a signature drink for your next gathering? Try a Pomegranate Martini! Crisp, sweet tart, fruity, and light: it’s closer to a Cosmo than the classic martini. It's a vodka martini made using pomegranate juice instead.
Ingredients: Pomegranate juice, vodka, lemon juice, Cointreau, simple syrup
Everything’s better with bubbles, right? In this Pomegranate Mimosa, sweet tart pomegranate juice is an ideal pairing with citrusy orange. Pair the two with champagne or Prosecco and the glass is full of bright red color and crisp flavor. It’s bubbly, it’s refreshing, and it’s downright fun. If you want to serve it in the evening, call it a Pomegranate Sparkler.
Ingredients: Pomegranate juice, orange, Prosecco or champagne
Last up in our pomegranate cocktail recipes is the Pomegranate Cosmo! This spin on the classic might be even better than the original. The sweet tart drink pairs pomegranate, vodka, and orange liqueur in a symphony of flavor. Of course, we love us a classic Cosmopolitan as much as anyone. But the Pomegranate Cosmo: you’ll just have to taste for yourself!
Ingredients: Pomegranate juice, vodka, lemon juice, Cointreau, simple syrup
Bottled pomegranate juice vs fresh squeezed
Each of these pomegranate cocktails is versatile: you can use bottled juice from the store, or pomegranate seeds to make your own juice! Here are a few things to note before you shop:
- Try to find 100% juice. Pomegranate juice is sold sweetened and unsweetened. Try to find the 100% juice version! It tastes better and all our drinks are customized to this type of juice.
- Even better, make your own! Pomegranate juice is easy to make from the fresh seeds: you’ll just need to mash them with a cocktail muddler and then strain out the juice. Head to How to Cut a Pomegranate and How to Make Pomegranate Juice.
Pomegranate Margarita
This pomegranate margarita recipe is perfection! Sweet tart pomegranate juice makes cocktail magic with tequila and lime.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) 100% pomegranate juice (purchased or fresh squeezed)*
- 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) tequila blanco or reposado**
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Cointreau
- ½ ounce (1 tablespoon) lime
- ½ ounce (1 tablespoons) simple syrup
- Kosher salt or Himalayan pink salt, for the rim (optional)
- Ice, for serving (try clear ice)
- For the garnish: pomegranate seeds, orange wedge or lime wedge
Instructions
- Cut a notch in a lime wedge, then run the lime around the rim of a glass. Dip the edge of the rim into a plate of salt (or for a festive look, use Margarita Salt).
- Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and fill it with ice. Shake until cold. Strain the margarita into the glass with the salted rim. Fill the glass with ice, garnish with pomegranate seeds and an orange wedge or lime wedge.
Notes
*If all you can find is sweetened pomegranate juice, use half the simple syrup quantity (or add to taste).
**To make a pitcher of 8 servings, mix together in a pitcher: 1 ½ cups tequila, 1 ½ cups 100% unsweetened pomegranate juice, 1 cup Cointreau, ½ cup lime juice, and ½ cup simple syrup. Add three handfuls of ice and stir until cold. Pour into individual glasses.
I love pomegranate cocktails! They’re so refreshing and perfect for a summer party.
Is there a way to make this without alcohol? Maybe you could do a post on some mixed drinks that are nonalcoholic but not just fruit juice either?
This is on our list!
Sub orange juice for the Cointreau and use imitation Tequila from drinkfreespirits.com, I did both and it came out good