Pomegranate Mocktail (Easy Holiday Drink)
This pomegranate mocktail is made by blending unsweetened pomegranate juice, fresh orange juice, and mint leaves, then straining it and stirring in sparkling water right before serving. Served in coconut sugar-rimmed glasses with pomegranate arils, citrus slices, and mint, it’s one of the easiest New Year’s mocktails for New Year’s Eve, dry January, or any holiday toast. For an optional still version, skip the sparkling water and serve it over ice.
Servings: 1 quart (1 liter)
Calories: 145kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pomegranate mocktails
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice 20 fl.ounces or 600 ml
- ¾ cup unsweetened fresh orange juice 6 fl. ounces or 187 ml, the juice of about 2 to 3 large oranges
- 6 to 8 large fresh mint leaves plus more to garnish
- 1 cup sparkling water 8 fl. ounces or 236 ml
For the sugar rim
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or light brown sugar or enough to coat the rims of the glasses
- orange slices cut crosswise (for wetting the lip of the glasses and for decoration)
Garnishes (optional)
- pomegranate arils, fresh orange lime and lemon slices, frozen or fresh cranberries, extra mint leaves, and fresh rosemary leaves.
Instructions
Make the pomegranate mocktail
- Add the pomegranate juice, orange juice, and mint leaves to a blender.2 ½ cups unsweetened 100% pomegranate juice, ¾ cup unsweetened fresh orange juice, 6 to 8 large fresh mint leaves
- Blend until combined and the mint is shredded to bits.
- Skim most of the foam off the top with a slotted spoon. Set aside a little foam.
- Pour the juice through a sieve into a large pitcher.
- Right before serving, stir in the pre-chilled sparkling water and a little reserved foam (optional) to simulate the bubbles of champagne.1 cup sparkling water
- Add garnishes to the pitcher or punch bowl, or garnish individual glasses.pomegranate arils, fresh orange lime and lemon slices, frozen or fresh cranberries, extra mint leaves, and fresh rosemary leaves.
Make the sugar rim
- Cut a thick round slice from the orange. Use the rest for garnish.orange slices cut crosswise
- Place the orange slice on a cutting board or flat surface. Place the coconut sugar on a small plate beside it.1 teaspoon coconut sugar or light brown sugar
- Turn each glass upside down. Gently dip the rim into the orange slice, then immediately into the sugar, turning to coat the outer edges.
- Turn the glass upright. Add garnishes and fill gently without splashing the rim.
Decorate the glasses (optional)
- Rest ⅓ of an orange slice on each rim. Drop a few pomegranate arils into each glass.
- Or cut a tiny opening at the base of a mint leaf with scissors and rest the cut side on the rim.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Punch bowl or crowd: Double the ingredients for a punch bowl, a larger crowd, or extra servings.
Optional still version: Omit the sparkling water and serve over ice or as-is. You’ll have a bit less to serve and might need to make more.
Fresh vs. store-bought juice: To juice the fruit yourself, you’ll need about 5 large pomegranates (or the equivalent arils) and about 2 to 3 large oranges. The color will differ: a lighter red versus a darker red. Count on 30 minutes of total prep time instead of 10.
Juicing at home without a juicer: Blend the arils, oranges, and mint leaves until you get a red juice smoothie. Pour it through a strainer or nut milk bag into a large pitcher, squeezing a nut milk bag until only dry pulp is left. Discard the pulp and continue with the recipe. It’s more work and messier, but it tastes incredible.
Make ahead: Blend and strain the juices and mint in advance and refrigerate. Stir in the pre-chilled sparkling water right before serving, then garnish. The fresh foam will be lost, but the mocktail will still taste delicious.
Keep it fizzy: Chill the sparkling water ahead and stir it in right before serving, after blending and straining.
Foam and color: Store-bought juice gives a whiter foam. Fresh homemade juice gives a pinker foam.
Sugar rim: Use a fine-crystal coconut sugar, or grind larger granules finer before coating the rims.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 145kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 430mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 0.5mg
