Fresh Pomegranate Martini: our favorite pomegranate juice cocktail recipe! It's a perfect combination of tart, sweet and refreshing.
My family grows pomegranates and other crops in central California, so I've got lots of pomegranate recipes to share. Each year we invite lots of friends to our Home Ranch to squeeze pomegranates for juice when the fruit us perfectly ripe, and we freeze it to use throughout the year. My entire family enjoys the flavor of pomegranate with a splash of citrus, so that's what we use here.
Storing Fresh Pomegranate Juice:
If you have fresh pomegranate juice, keep it refrigerated and use it within about 14 days from the time it was pressed. If you're buying fresh juice from the store in the refrigerated section, use it within 14 days from the time you open it. Store-bought juice has been sealed for freshness, so cracking the seal starts the clock. There should also be a "use by" date on the bottle too. If you think you won't use up your juice and you aren't ready for a martini, freezing it is the best storage option.
Freezing is the best way to preserve the flavor of shelf-stable juice too, once it's been open for two weeks. The properties that make pomegranate juice so good for you can degrade over time as well. That means you'll lose nutrition and flavor. Nobody wants that!
The Other Ingredients: It's a Pomegranate Cocktail with Vodka
Beyond the juice, the other ingredients you need to make a Fresh Pomegranate Martini are vodka, orange flavored liqueur and a slice of orange or tangerine. Plain vodka is gluten-free, even if it's distilled from a grain that contains gluten. That's because the gluten protein doesn't make it through the distillation process. I usually choose Ciroc anyway. It's made from grapes and I feel better when I don't consume certain grains.
The recipe calls for orange liqueur, and Grand Marnier and Triple Sec are both gluten-free. You'll also need a slice of orange, tangerine or mandarin. I say "optional" in the recipe, but the fresh citrus makes a big difference, especially in the aroma of the drink. A twist or citrus zest will also work.
You can find more about gluten in alcohol here, a list of popular vodkas and what they're made from here, and my gluten-free alcohol list here.
Drinks with Pomegranate: Beyond the Pomtini
Pomegranate Mojito
This tasty Pomegranate Mojito recipe is truly delicious and completely refreshing too.
Pineapple Pomegranate Margarita
A list of drinks with pomegranate wouldn't be complete without a margarita! This Pineapple Pomegranate Margarita recipe makes two cocktails, but you may not want to share.
Spiced Pomegranate Sangria: make a batch!
This cocktail with pomegranate juice is also full of warm spices, perfect for fall and holiday get-togethers. A bottle of red wine is essentially mulled and chilled, then you add the pomegranate juice. Once your guests try a glass of Spiced Pomegranate Sangria, they'll be lots of requests for the recipe.
If you want to add a few pomegranate seeds (called arils) to your cocktail, here's how a pomegranate farmer gets seeds out of the fruit.
Cheers!
Fresh Pomegranate Martini
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add drink ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice, shake to blend.
- Rub the rim of the glass with an orange slice and hang it on the edge of the glass
- Strain cocktail into chilled martini glass. Serve and enjoy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photos: Meg van der Kruik โ she makes a mean Classic Dirty Martini.
More Martini Recipes to try:
Alison's Tangerine Martini:
This gorgeous Tangerine Martini packs a bright citrus punch. Serve it straight up in a martini glass, or over ice with a splash of soda
Delicious Chocolate Martini:
This delicious Chocolate Martini recipe is one of our all-time favorites. It's gluten-free of course, and it's easy to make it dairy-free too. You can double the recipe in a standard cocktail shaker, and you probably should, because you'll want to share it with someone you like a whole lot. Or you'll want another one for yourself.
Alison's Violet Champagne Cocktail: The Elizabeth Taylor
This light and refreshing violet champagne cocktail, which our friend Alison fondly calls the Elizabeth Taylor, has a touch of violet liqueur, a splash of lemon, and is topped with brut champagne.
This may be the best use of pomegranate juice, ever.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Pomegranate Martini Recipe:
A Pomegranate Martini is traditionally made with pomegranate juice, vodka, and orange liqueurย likeย Grand Marnier or Triple Sec. The standard measurements are 2oz. pomegranate juice, .5oz. orange liqueurย and 1.5oz. vodka to make a 4oz. martini.
Yes, pomegranate juice is a good match for many types of alcohol, since the tangy and sweet flavors offer a good balance for cocktails. A Pomtini is a pomegranate cocktail made with vodka and orange liqueur. Pomegranate is also a good match with rum or tequila, and is delicious in margaritas. You can also add pomegranate juice to sangria and other wine cocktails.
Add 2 oz. pomegranate juice, 1.5 oz. vodka and .5 oz.orange liqueurย likeย Grand Marnier or Triple Sec to a cocktail shaker with ice. POur into a chilled martini glass and serve.
A pomegranate martini has 130 calories.
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