Sweet and Tart! This refreshing and flavorful Pomegranate Martini is a perfect blend of pomegranate juice, cranberry juice and lemon vodka! This is a budget friendly party favorite for the holiday season and summertime BBQs.
What Makes a GREAT Pomegranate Martini Recipe?!?
This is the perfect cocktail with great flavor, plenty of pizzazz and easy on the wallet. The perfect Pomegranate Martini is sweet but not cloying. It needs some tartness from pomegranate and cranberry juice.
Ideally it has a good middle shelf lemon or citrus vodka. It also needs a nice Triple Sec but there is no need for a more expensive orange liquor such as Cointreau. In general I recommend skipping the Dekuyper in favor of the nicer Monarch Triple Sec (Hood River, Oregon.) Using a slightly better Triple Sec gives a lovely orange flavor without having to break out high end orange liquors.
Good Middle-shelf Vodka = GREAT Cocktail
You don’t need to go out and grab the Gray Goose for this one! Just pick a solid lemon flavored vodka that has a nice sweet flavor. Ideally this recipe will cost you about what 2-3 drinks would cost in a restaurant but you would get enough drinks to serve a party!
We sampled three different citrus vodkas in developing this recipe. Our favorite was the Swedish label, Svedka Citron Lemon Flavored Vodka. Usually my favorite lemon vodka is by 360 Vodka. However, their lemon is a bit too sweet for this drink. Some testers even used the word “syrupy” to describe it. I still think it makes the best Lemon Drop Martini but it is not a good fit for the Pom!
We gave the classic Smirnoff a spin too but it was not quite flavorful or sweet enough for the recipe.
How To Make a Big Batch of Pomegranate Martinis
This is a martini that can easily be made in a big batch! I suggest making it in multiples of four for easy math.
So plan on multiplying the ingredients by four to serve four people. Or by eight to serve eight people. You could also make 16 servings. You get the drift!
Having a party? Make a pitcher of martinis ahead and put in the fridge. Then you can shake and serve right from the pitcher!
Virgin Pomegranate Martini Variation
Got some younger guests or somebody who needs to skip the booze? No problem! Leave the vodka and triple sec out and use 2oz of club soda or 7Up instead. The 7UP will make a sweeter more kid friendly drink and club soda will make a less sweet, more grown up drink. Garnish these with a maraschino cherry if you like!
How To Juice a Pomegranate
If you want to juice your pomegranates go for it! However, it is a big extra step and it is easy to buy pomegranate juice ready to go! (Tip for batch martini makers – Costco sells Pomegranate juice in the refrigerated section!)
- Put the pomegranate seeds in a blender.
- Pulse the seeds several times. This breaks them up enough to release the juice.
- Put a sieve or mesh strainer over a container.
- Use the back of a spoon to gently press the seeds against the mesh until you have gotten as much juice as possible.
More Cocktails to Love
What Kind of Cocktail Shaker Should You Buy?!?
There are two primary types of cocktail shaker. The first has been around forever – the top lifts off and then you pour. The 2nd has a top that screws on and is larger so you can shake several cocktails at once.
Pick the style you like – the biggest thing to consider is to make sure you get a high quality shaker that won’t freeze your hands or leak.
Pomegranate Martini
Ingredients
- 2 oz pomegranate juice 1/4 cup
- 2 oz cranberry juice cocktail 1/4 cup
- 1 ½ oz lemon vodka Svedka, 360 or any sweet lemon vodka
- ½ oz triple sec
- 1 Tbsp. pomegranate seeds to garnish optional
- chunky sugar for rimming the glass optional
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker full of ice.
- Shake until fully chilled.
- Strain into a chilled martini glass with a sugared rim.
- Garnish if desired and serve.
- Garnish Note: I like a to put a Tablespoon or so of pomegranate seeds in the bottom of the glass and then a slice of lemon or lemon twist.
Helpful Recipe Notes
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Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
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