Pomegranates are the newest victim, I mean ingredient, on my hit list. There is no real reason other than I haven’t experimented with them much. I wanted to create another mocktail or cocktail and, as we are heading into silly season, the ruby red pomegranate seemed a logical choice.
Truth be told, you don’t actually need to purchase a pomegranate to make this Grapefruit Pomegranate Sour Mocktail. Pomegranate juice you definitely need, but juicing all those little seeds after going to the effort of extracting them from the white flesh of the fruit? Definitely not worth it. No, I didn’t even try.
I gave my teenage son instructions to get pomegranate juice and the fruit. True to form, he followed the instructions and brought back both. He also informed me that our local fruit and veg store was selling pomegranates for $11 each! Thankfully, he is old enough to appreciate the value of money and did not buy those. He proudly told me the fresh, red gem-filled fruits he brought home were found elsewhere for a much more reasonable $2 apiece.
Despite all that, bottled pomegranate juice is really all you need here. The grapefruit is another story. I wouldn’t use bottled grapefruit juice for this one. Fresh ruby red grapefruit is definitely worth buying because grapefruit is every bit as much the star of this drink as the pomegranate.
The final ingredient that earns its place is vanilla. It softens some of the tartness of the grapefruit and pomegranate without turning this into a sweet mocktail. Fresh vanilla bean makes a particularly good syrup and, yes, vanilla beans are expensive too. I’ve reused the same bean several times to make syrup. Granted, the vanilla flavour gets a little weaker each time, but if cost is an issue, keep squeezing the life out of it. When you’ve finally exhausted it, dry the bean and bury it in a jar of sugar. We’re getting our money’s worth.
The result is a tart, ruby-red Grapefruit Pomegranate Sour Mocktail with just enough vanilla to round everything out and a foamy top that makes it feel like a proper cocktail. Festive without being overly sweet, and no $11 pomegranate required. If you are after a cocktail version, that is coming soon.
Worth Making?
YES – It looks properly festive with very little effort. The deep pink colour and foamy top make it an easy option for Christmas or any celebration where you want a non-alcoholic drink that still looks the part.
YES – It’s genuinely quick to make. Measure, shake and strain — there’s no muddling, cooking fruit or making multiple components before you can have a drink.
YES – It gives you a proper cocktail-style option for anyone not drinking alcohol, rather than defaulting to juice and soda.
SKIP IT – If getting out a cocktail shaker and doing a two-stage shake feels like too much work for a mocktail. The foam is part of what makes this one worth making.
SKIP IT – If pomegranate juice is difficult to find or grapefruit isn’t in season. With so few ingredients, good grapefruit and pure pomegranate juice matter.
Pomegranate Grapefruit Sour Mocktail
Equipment
- 1 cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 60 ml pink grapefruit juice
- 25 ml pomegranate juice
- 10 ml fresh lemon juice
- 20 ml vanilla syrup
- 25 ml aquafaba or eggwhite
- Tiny pinch fine salt
- Ice
Vanilla Syrup
- 50 grams sugar
- 1 fresh vanilla pod split
- 50 ml water
Instructions
- Add everything except the ice to a cocktail shaker and dry shake vigorously.
- Add ice and shake hard again until thoroughly chilled and foamy.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with grapefruit peel or a few pomegranate arils.
Vanilla Syrup
- Heat sugar, vanilla and water in small saucepan just until sugar is fully dissolved. Cool completely.
Make it your own way
SWEETER – Increase the vanilla syrup by 5 ml if your grapefruit is particularly tart or you prefer a softer drink.
MORE GRAPEFRUIT – Reduce the pomegranate juice slightly and replace it with extra pink grapefruit for a more citrus dominate sour.
MORE POMEGRANATE – Increase the pomegranate juice by 10 ml and reduce the grapefruit by the same amount for a deeper fruit flavour and colour.
NO AQUAFABA/EGGWHITE – Leave it out if you don’t want the foam. The drink will be lighter and less like a traditional sour, but the grapefruit and pomegranate combination still works.
MAKE IT FIZZY – Strain over ice into a small highball and add a splash of soda water for a longer, lighter version.
