spiced pomegranate bourbon fizz
A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YOU SUCKERS.
I’m writing this on Saturday morning because yesterday was my birthday (more on that in this week’s Sidebar) and I didn’t do shitall for FMG. I enjoyed a lovely day of not doing anything productive at all, but this morning I wanted to shake up a nice little drink to send us all into the new year. It just had to include champagne, right?
This fizzy little drink is easy to make and includes a lovely honey cinnamon syrup that can moonlight as a salad dressing sweetener or for other drinks you decide to whip up. It’s light but warming and boasts a short ingredients list of shit you probably have already in your bar cart – and if you don’t, a standard grocery store trip should do for the bits and bobs.
Fizz and Pop While the Ball Drops
Start with the syrup, which is just a mix of honey, cinnamon sticks, and water. Boil it up, then set it off the burner to steep for awhile. I forgot about the syrup for over an hour while I deloused from my workout and it was quite delicious.
I chose to rim my glass with cinnamon sugar, but you can skip this if you’re serving a group. Otherwise, toss a little sugar with cinnamon, run a lemon wedge around the rim, and dip that shit in the sugar and swirl it all around. That’s what it’s all about.
Next, grab your favorite bourbon, a lemon for its juice, and pomegranate juice. Combine some of each with a little syrup and shake them up with ice until cold. Pour into your glass and plop in a big wedge of pomegranate (or just some arils if you want something less exhibitory.)
Another pretty garnish idea? Sugared rosemary. Big fan of these over the holidays. When the syrup is made, drop a few rosemary sprigs to coat with the syrup, then lay on a wire rack over a baking sheet to dry. Finish with a little bath in some white sugar to create the pretty snowflake effect.
Directions for a pitcher version sit below the single recipe! Hope you guys have a dope-ass New Year. If you make this cocktail, do so in the comfort of your home, or designate a driver to fling your butt back to home base. Please don’t drink and drive tonight. The “inconvenience” of an Uber or a DD is worth arriving sans harm.
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!
Farewell, holidays. I’ll drink to that.
Sparkling Cranberry Cider Tequila Punch
spiced pomegranate bourbon fizz
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 oz bourbon
- 2-3 tbsp cinnamon syrup (recipe below)
- 1/2 oz lemon juice
- 2 oz pomegranate juice
- champagne, to top
cinnamon honey syrup
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- To make the cinnamon honey syrup: in a small saucepot, bring the honey, 2/3 cup of water, and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Pour into a heat-proof jar. Cool. This will make enough for 6-8 cocktails.
- Toss the sugar with the ground cinnamon. Run a lemon wedge around a cocktail glass and dip into the cinnamon sugar, swirling to coat the rim.
- In a shaker or glass jar, combine the bourbon, syrup, lemon juice, and pomegranate juice. Add ice and shake until cold. Pour into a cocktail glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a pomegranate quarter and rosemary sprigs, as desired.
Notes
spiced pomegranate bourbon fizz pitcher
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups bourbon
- 1 batch cinnamon honey syrup (recipe below)
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 1 bottle champagne, chilled
- pomegranate quarters/arils and sugared rosemary, to garnish
cinnamon honey syrup
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- To make the cinnamon honey syrup: combine the honey, 2/3 cup of water, and cinnamon sticks in a small saucepot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and steep 10 minutes. Cool.
- In a large punch bowl or pitcher, combine the bourbon, syrup, lemon juice, and pomegranate juice. Chill until read to serve. When serving, top each glass with champagne and garnish with sugared rosemary and pomegranate quarters/arils, as desired.
