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Home » Drinks

Pomegranate Rosemary Cocktail

Last updated: Feb 1, 2025 | Published: Dec 9, 2021

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? 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.

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

  1. 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.
  2. Making a batch of these cocktails in advance for a get-together is easy. See my note below on how to do it.
  3. 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:

bottles of ingredients for the 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.

a pomegranate on a cutting board with the top sliced off
  1. Step 1: Thinly slice off the top of the pomegranate to expose the top of the arils.
a pomegranate cut into sections
  1. Step 2: Run your knife through the gap between each section of the arils.
pulling a pomegranate apart into sections
  1. Step 3: Use your hands to gently pull apart each of the sections your loosened with your knife.
pieces of pomegranate on a cutting board
  1. 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

small pot with rosemary and sugar
  1. 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.
ice being poured into a cocktail shaker
  1. Step 2: Add ice to a cocktail shaker.
gin being poured into a cocktail shaker
  1. Step 3: Add the gin, pomegranate juice, orange liqueur, and rosemary simple syrup to the shaker.
cocktail shaker being shaken
  1. Step 4: Shake well for about 15 seconds.
cocktail being strained into a glass
  1. Step 5: Strain the pomegranate cocktail into a glass.
a sprig of rosemary being added to the drink
  1. 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

  1. You need fresh rosemary for this cocktail. Do not attempt to replace it with dried.
  2. Make the simple syrup in advance. You need to give it time to cool and steep.
  3. 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

What pairs well with pomegranate juice?

Pomegranate pairs well with citrus, apple, rosemary, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, ginger, honey, and vanilla, to name just a few.

Is pomegranate good for cocktails?

Pomegranate is great for cocktails. Its sweet and mildly tart flavor pairs wonderfully with several liquors and added flavorings.

What alcohol goes well with rosemary?

Rosemary pairs well with many kinds of alcohol, including gin, whiskey, and vodka.

🍕 Pairing

Any of these recipes would go great with this cocktail.

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    Raspberry Rugelach
  • a delicata pizza on parchment paper
    Delicata Pizza with Ricotta and Bacon
  • cornmeal pudding dessert served at table
    Sweet Coconut Cornmeal Pudding
  • pieces of squash tartlets with apple
    Squash Tartlets
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📖 Recipe

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cocktail with pomegranate and rosemary

Pomegranate Rosemary Cocktail


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Steve Peters
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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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

Units Scale

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:

  1. 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:

  1. 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

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

🍷 Related Recipes

For more drink recipes, try these next:

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    Gingerbread Mocktail
  • two coupe glasses with cold brew martinis
    Cold Brew Martinis
  • glasses of elderberry cordial
    Elderberry Cordial Recipe
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    Baileys Eggnog

Comments

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  1. Erin says

    March 01, 2025 at 2:41 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Steve says

      March 01, 2025 at 2:46 pm

      Great tip. Thanks for sharing, Erin!

      Reply
  2. Lyz says

    December 09, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    This cocktail is delicious, refreshing, and festive!

    Reply

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