santa’s spiced pomegranate spritz
After a certain hour, I’d imagine Santa tires of cold milk and hot cocoa and yearns for something with a little more bite to keep his eyes open. Don’t you think?
Happy Friday, and happy two weeks until Christmas. What the fuck. I’d say I’m doing plenty of festive shit but the holiday is still catching me with my pants down. The tree is decorated, presents are arrived (not yet wrapped), the porch decor is set up, Christmas music constantly plays from my Spotify or the cute Slingscapes on television, Hallmark Channel movies are in full swing.
Yet, my brain still hasn’t caught up. Perhaps it will when the one week mark hits, or when my sister and her husband land from their flights on Christmas Eve. I hope it does.
Because I need a little Christmas, RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE.
So, to usher it in, let’s celebrate the weekend with Santa’s Spiced Pomegranate Spritz. A simple, fizzy, fun drink flavored with a homemade spiced brown sugar syrup that brings in a pop of cozy delight to a fruity, effervescent little sip. And yes, you’ll have plenty of syrup left over for future cocktails, so if you need to host soon and want a quick libation to serve, this is your guy right here.
As always, we’ve a fast process today, so I’ll leave you with the short and sweet directions.
He Knows When You’ve Been Drinking
So don’t drive after one of these okay?
Brown sugar serves as our sweet base for the cocktail syrup. Simply stir the sugar with an equal amount of water in a saucepan, with the heat on medium, until the granules dissolve. Pull the pan off the burner and drop in a couple cinnamon sticks, a whole clove, and a star anise pod. Steep about 10 minutes. Dump the solids and let the syrup cool a bit.
Leftover syrup stays good for up to two weeks in the fridge, so no rush to use it all!
Shake a little of the syrup with vodka, pomegranate juice, and ice, until the drink is cold. Pour into your favorite glass and cap it off with some ginger beer or sparkling cider. Both are great and will add a different kick to the drink, so use what you have or prefer!
Garnish with pomegranate arils (I’m a lazy butt and buy the containers rather than attempting to crack a whole pomegranate. I am not patient man), an orange slice, and a sprig or two of rosemary. Sugared rosemary, if you’re a little more ambitious.
Nothing more to it, friends. Enjoy your weekend and any festivities you might find, or might find you!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
It’s beginning to look a lot like cocktails:
Merry Berry Christmas Margarita
santa’s spiced pomegranate spritz
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 whole clove
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 oz vodka
- 2 oz pomegranate juice
- ginger beer or sparkling cider, to top
- pomegranate arils and rosemary, to garnish
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Heat over medium until dissolved, about 5 minutes. Move the pan off the burner and drop in the cinnamon sticks, clove, and anise pod. Steep 10 minutes. Discard the solids and let cool slightly.
- In a shaker, combine the vodka, pomegranate juice, and 1 ounce of the syrup. Fill with ice and shake until cold. Pour into a rocks glass and top with ginger beer or sparkling cider. Garnish with pomegranate arils and a rosemary sprig, as desired.
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