Cocktail Recipe: Pomegranate Martini
This post is by SoCal Chapter Leader Nicole Schroeder. She whipped up this recipe just in time for Valentine's day, so you have no excuse not to have a pink drink! Check our workshop page for upcoming workshops that Nicole will be hosting if you are in the Los Angeles area this Spring.
This is one of my all-time favorite seasonal drinks. There are no good workarounds for this, you must use a real pomegranate. It is a little labor intensive, but completely worth it. I’ve even used it as a party trick -- just be sure the host is OK with magenta.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1 pomegranate (2 spoonfuls per drink)
- ½ oz simple syrup
- 1 ½ oz gin or vodka
- Ice
- Cocktail shaker
- Martini glass
Step 1: Cut the pomegranate
This is what holds you back, isn’t it? Here’s a trick, but I’m not promising it isn’t messy. Slice off the top, remove it, then score the inside with an X, slicing down the slides. Put your thumbs in the middle and turn it inside out, then use your fingers to slide the seeds into a bowl.
Step 2: Muddle
Put 2 spoonfuls of pomegranate seeds and ½ oz simple syrup into the cocktail shaker, then use a muddler or the back of a wooden spoon to crush all the pomegranate seeds.
Pro Tip: Make a batch of simple syrup with 1 c. sugar and 1 c. water, heated until the sugar dissolves and keep it in your freezer. It only takes a few minutes for enough to thaw.
Step 3: Add liquor
I like gin with this, but vodka is very amenable as well. For this version, I used Death’s Door gin, produced from grain grown on Washington Island, Door County. It’s worth a google. It goes so smoothly with a tart fruit.
Step 4: Add ice
You’ll notice I added the liquor first. That’s because, for a martini, you want to limit dilution. You’ll get enough water into your drink by shaking the heck out of it. When alcohol pours over ice, though, it melts it on the way to the bottom. I like to avoid this, and splashing, so I slide in as much ice as I can get my hands on.
Step 5: Shake it til your hands hurt, then pour!
