On Christmas day, my mother’s friend shared that she was going to bring a special cocktail with her to dinner. She didn’t tell us much, other than it had champagne in it. Everyone really liked the drink, so when visiting with family, we decided to serve it for New Year’s Eve. It is a quick, colorful beverage that is both a little bit sweet and tart.
To make the drink, one needs only a bottle of Champagne, Pomegranate Liqueur (such as PAMA), and fresh pomegranate.
You start by peeling the pomegranate and letting the seeds sit in the refrigerator to be chilled while you are chilling the Champagne. I would also encourage you to have chilled glasses, but that’s not necessary. When picking out a pomegranate, look for one that is a bit softer, so the seeds will be juicier and more ripe. The one we had produced a ton of extremely juicy seeds, and there were plenty for us to snack on after ringing in the new year.
One you have chilled seeds, champagne and glasses, pour about 1/2 to 1 ounce of pomegranate liqueur into the chilled glass. Add in 1 dozen or so chilled pomegranate seeds. Fill the rest of the glass with champagne, and enjoy. The seeds fill up with champagne and become extremely yummy!
Non-Alcoholic Version
I know that there are a number of folks out there that may not want to try the alcoholic version of this drink, but I wanted to mention that you can also make a non-alcoholic, “soft” version of the drink by substituting sparkling apple cider or sparkling grape juice for champagne and POM juice for the liqueur. I’d still use the seeds as they were the particularly tasty part of the drink.
Pomegranates are a great way to start off the New Year. In Judaic history, they are served during the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashana. I looked up the history and symbolism of the pomegranate for the Jewish New Year, and learned that they were a symbol of fruitfulness and prosperity.
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I used it for my panna cotta sauce:) wild pomegranate from our garden…