Pomegranate Rosemary Cocktail

Jump to Recipe·5 from 1 review

This pomegranate rosemary cocktail, made with fresh pomegranate juice, gin, and rosemary simple syrup, has a festive spirit and a unique blend of fruity, sweet, and herbal flavors.

glass of pomegranate gin cocktail with rosemary sprig and arils

Did you know those red jewels you see when you open a pomegranate are not just seeds? Although everyone refers to them as seeds, they are actually tiny pouches of pulp. The pouches are called arils, and the seeds are inside them, surrounded by the juicy pulp.

Pomegranate juice is made by pressing or blending the arils of the pomegranate. The result is a beautiful blend of sweet and tart flavors, serving as a delicious base for cocktails.

Jump to:

😍 Why you'll love this cocktail
🎄 More Festive Recipes
🌿 Ingredients
🔪 How to cut a pomegranate
🫐 Substitutions & Variations
🧊 Instructions
✨ Top Tips
🥛 Equipment
🌿 How to store rosemary simple syrup
🙋🏻‍♂️ FAQ
🍕 Pairing
📖 Recipe
🍷 Related Recipes
💬 Comments

😍 Why you'll love this cocktail

It makes a festive beverage for the holiday season. The bright red of the cocktail and the green rosemary garnish couldn't be more fitting.
Making a batch of these cocktails in advance for a get-together is easy. See my note below on how to do it.
You'll have plenty of leftover rosemary simple syrup. Use it to make more cocktails or to flavor coffee, hot chocolate, or tea. Or add it to other cocktails like this Smoked Negroni.

I love creating drinks and food that are unique to each season throughout the year, but the holiday season is one of the most enjoyable times to share with friends and family. For more festive holiday recipes, check out these:

🎄 More Festive Recipes

🌿 Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this cocktail:

Pomegranate juice: This bold and tart ruby red juice can be acquired from fresh pomegranate, or you can buy a bottle of the juice and skip dealing with the whole fruit. (Here's one easy way to obtain the juice from the pomegranate without event cutting one open!) You can find pomegranate juice in the produce department of most grocery stores, and you can often find arils nearby in containers. I've also seen bottles of shelf-stable juice located with the other juices in the grocery store.
Sugar and rosemary: For making an easy rosemary simple syrup.
Fresh Rosemary: Additional rosemary sprigs to garnish the cocktail.
Gin: The piney juniper notes of gin pair well with the rosemary and pomegranate. One of my favorite gins is from Barr Hill that's made here in Vermont.
Orange Liqueur: Such as or Triple Sec.
Pomegranate (optional): If you want to make your own juice or add a few of the arils to your cocktail, pick up a pomegranate when in season in late fall and early winter. See the note and photos below for tips on how to cut easily cut open a pomegranate.

See the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.

🔪 How to cut a pomegranate

I admit I did not know how to cut open a pomegranate until recently. The couple of times I had tried in the past were a mess, and my counter looked like a murder scene-that juice sure stains. I finally learned the easiest way to cut one open. Here's how.

a pomegranate on a cutting board with the top sliced off

Step 1: Thinly slice off the top of the pomegranate to expose the top of the arils.

Step 2: Run your knife through the gap between each section of the arils.

pulling a pomegranate apart into sections

Step 3: Use your hands to gently pull apart each of the sections you loosened with your knife.

pieces of pomegranate on a cutting board

Step 4: Scoop out the arils from each section.

Pomegranate arils are a colorful addition to foods this time of year, especially desserts. You can add them to oatmeal or yogurt, toss them into a salad, or use them as a garnish for soups or vegetable dishes.

🫐 Substitutions & Variations

Make it fizzy: For a pomegranate gin fizz cocktail, top the cocktail off with a bit of club soda or other bubbly water.
Cranberry juice: A comparable replacement for pomegranate juice if that's not easy to find at your local store. Try to find some without added sugar. In other words, it's not a cranberry cocktail because that's not a cocktail; it's just added sugar.
Vodka: Instead of gin, try vodka. The result should still be enjoyable, if not a little less flavorful.
Thyme: Substitute thyme for rosemary to create another unique herby cocktail. It works beautifully in my Cucumber Gin Cocktail.

🧊 Instructions

Step 1: Add 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, and the rosemary sprigs to a small pot. Stir to dissolve the sugar as the water heats and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool before removing the rosemary.

Step 2: Add ice to a cocktail shaker.

Step 3: Add the gin, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, and rosemary simple syrup to the shaker.

Step 4: Shake well for about 15 seconds.

Step 5: Strain the pomegranate cocktail into a glass.

a sprig of rosemary being added to the drink

Step 6: Add a heaping scoop of ice to the glass and garnish with a spring of rosemary and pomegranate arils, if using.

✨ Top Tips

You need fresh rosemary for this cocktail. Do not attempt to replace it with dried.
Make the simple syrup in advance. You need to give it time to cool and steep.
The pomegranate seeds make a fun addition to the cocktail. But keep in mind that they won't float. You can rest them atop the ice at first, and they can be enjoyed at the end of the drink as a fun bonus.

🥛 Equipment

Cocktail shaker: Handy for shaking up cocktails like this one.

🌿 How to store rosemary simple syrup

The rosemary simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. It can also be used to make additional cocktails and to flavor coffee, tea, lemonade, or hot chocolate. Add it to this cold brew martini and an apple cider whiskey cocktail.