So Christmas is over, we’ve (theoretically) put away the wrapping paper, and it’s time to turn our attention to New Year’s! As I’ve said before, I love sparkling wine year-round and I would never dream of skipping it on New Year’s Eve. But if you’re not a fan of sparkling wine, or simply looking for a festive, pretty cocktail to serve at your New Year’s party, may I recommend the Pomegranate Martini?
I tried, you guys. I really, really tried to make these not quite as alcoholic as my usual recipes. But I tested a recipe with three times as much pomegranate juice and slightly less vodka and it just tasted flat — like watered-down pomegranate juice. I tried 2 ounces of pomegranate juice to 1 ounce of vodka — still flat and boring, no matter how much lemon juice I added. Only when I bumped up the booze and decreased the pomegranate juice to 1 ounce per cocktail was I happy with the cocktail.
Maybe if I’d used a different pomegranate juice the less-alcoholic cocktails might have tasted more appealing (I used Trader Joe’s). Or maybe I’m just irrevocably a strong-cocktails person. Regardless, if this sounds like too much vodka for your holiday party, try Oprah’s recipe, which has a 4:1 ratio of pomegranate juice to liquor.
Pomegranate Martinis (Adapted from Ina Garten) — Makes 1
1 ounce pomegranate juice
1.5 ounces vodka
0.5 ounces triple sec or Cointreau
0.5 ounces lemon or lime juice
Pour liquid ingredients into an ice-filled shaker. Shake well and strain into martini glass.
Pomegranate Martinis in a pitcher – Makes 10
1 + 1/4 cup (10 oz) pomegranate juice
2 cup (16 oz) vodka
2/3 cup (~5oz) triple sec
2/3 cup (~5oz) fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice
Pour liquid ingredients into ice-filled pitcher; stir and pour immediately into martini glasses, straining out the ice.
You may be tempted to skip the lemon/lime juice. Don’t. The pomegranate juice is very sweet and needs the acidity of the citrus to cut it. I thought lime juice was the best choice for this cocktail but lemon does just fine in a pinch.
I love the TJ’s pomegranate juice, but Pom brand might work better in a martini if you’re trying to keep the alcohol content lower (it tastes less watery from the start, so I think it’s less likely to taste watered down in a mixed drink). I’ve tried this with orange-pomegranate mimosas and the more concentrated juices seem to work better (though I still prefer the TJ’s brand by itself or in non-alcoholic drinks), so I imagine it would be the same in a martini.
That makes total sense, Amber. I’ve also wondered if the way to kick up the flavor in these without too much booze is to add a tiny bit of Pama pomegranate liqueur, which is super-intense and delicious. But I don’t like to recommend buying an entire bottle of something to make just one cocktail!