Ingredients
1 tbsp. sanding sugar
1 lemon, halved
Ice
2 oz. fresh pomegranate juice
1 1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
Pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprig, for serving
Preparation
Step 1Place a martini glass in the freezer for 15 minutes, if desired.Step 2Place sanding sugar on a shallow plate. Rub a lemon half around rim of martini glass, then dip into sugar.Step 3Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add pomegranate juice, vodka, Cointreau, and lemon juice and vigorously shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 20 seconds.Step 4Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and rosemary sprig.
To make a pomegranate martini, you can use 100% or from-concentrate pomegranate juice. Take a sip of it before mixing the cocktail to see if it’s more tart or sweet. An extra sour juice might benefit from a little more fresh citrus, and vice versa. The Cointreau will also help balance out the tartness of the pomegranate, so feel free to adjust to your taste once everything has been mixed together. Vodka is ideal for a pomegranate martini thanks to its mellow flavor, which lets the pomegranate shine. If you’re more of a gin drinker, though, you can sub it in in equal parts. We like this with a sugared rim, pomegranate seeds (check out our explainer for how to cut a pom), and a rosemary sprig to make it extra cheery, but feel free to skip if you’re a purist. This would be just as lovely with a simple lemon peel garnish too. To make pomegranate martinis for a crowd, multiply the ingredients by how many drinks you’ll want to serve. Swap out the cocktail shaker for a pitcher and pour the ingredients in. Stir, cover the top of the pitcher with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the cocktail is very chilled. Pour single servings into martini glasses and enjoy! Have you tried this? Let us know how it went in the comments below.
