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.
Did you know those red jewels you see when you open a pomegranate are not just seeds? Even though everyone refers to them as seeds, they're 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. The result is a beautiful mix of sweet and tart flavors, which serves as a delicious base for cocktails.
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😍 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 making drinks and food unique to every season throughout the year, but the holiday season is one of the most fun times to share with friends and family. For more festive holiday recipes, check out these:
🎄 More Festive Recipes
- Hot Buttered Rum
- Apple Cider Bourbon Cocktail
- Cranberry White Chocolate Tart
- Red Wine Cupcakes
- Christmas Cream Puffs
🌿 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 full 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. Heres how.
- 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.
- Step 3: Use your hands to gently pull apart each of the sections your loosened with your knife.
- Step 4: Scoop out the arils from each of the sections.
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, not cranberry cocktail because that's no 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 in place of rosemary to make another unique herby cocktail.
🧊 Instructions
- Step 1: Add one cup water, one cup 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.
- 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.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQ
Pomegranate pairs well with citrus, apple, rosemary, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, ginger, honey, and vanilla, to name just a few.
Pomegranate is great for cocktails. Its sweet and mildly tart flavor pairs wonderfully with several liquors and added flavorings.
Rosemary pairs well with many kinds of alcohol, including gin, whiskey, and vodka.
🍕 Pairing
Any of these recipes would go great with this cocktail.
📖 Recipe
Pomegranate Rosemary Cocktail
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This pomegranate rosemary gin 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.
Ingredients
For the rosemary simple syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 rosemary sprigs
For the pomegranate rosemary cocktail:
- ice
- 2 ounces gin
- 1-ounce pomegranate juice
- ½ ounce orange liqueur, such as Triple Sec
- 1-ounce rosemary simple syrup
- pomegranate arils (optional)
- 1 rosemary sprig to garnish
Instructions
To make the rosemary simple syrup:
- In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a simmer with the rosemary over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, and use your spoon to bruise up the rosemary to help release its flavor. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to cool. Remove the rosemary sprigs and store the syrup in a jar in the fridge for up to a month.
To make the cocktail:
- Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the gin, pomegranate juice, Triple Sec, and rosemary simple syrup. Shake for 15 seconds, then strain into a glass. Top off with fresh ice, add in a few pomegranate arils, if desired, and garnish the drink with a sprig of rosemary.
Notes
While the cocktail yields one serving, the simple syrup should make about 12 ounces, which is enough for 12 cocktails and to flavor and sweeten a variety of other drinks.
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.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: American
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Erin says
Pro Tip: if you can’t find fresh rosemary, simply brew 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary with only a splash of hot water, for each serving.
Steve says
Great tip. Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Lyz says
This cocktail is delicious, refreshing, and festive!