Add a little glitz to your holiday celebration with this sparkling pomegranate martini! Ginger ale gives this stunning, fancy martini a bubbly finish with a touch of spice for a sophisticated upgrade to a classic pomegranate cocktail. Plus, with just a handful of ingredients, this pomegranate cocktail comes together in minutes, making it perfect for easy entertaining.
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Why You Need to Make This Recipe
Two words come to mind: easy elegance. A martini always feels sophisticated, but when you add a sparkling touch, it's a simple way to instantly elevate your cocktail game. New Year's Eve, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day -- these holidays all call for a signature cocktail, and this sparkling pomegranate martini is perfect for each celebration.
Despite its fancy feel, this martini is easy to make for even the novice mixologist. We don’t have to bother with fussy ingredients, and the technique is as simple as it gets. This sparkling pomegranate cocktail may make one memorable holiday cocktail, but it's also easy enough to make on a random evening with a friend or two.
How's that for versatility? We all need a few trusty cocktail recipes in our back pocket that we can rely on for any occasion, and this easy pomegranate martini is it.
Related: For more Christmas cocktail ideas, you'll also love this bourbon eggnog, chocolate-peppermint martini and Christmas margarita.
Ingredients
Let’s chat pomegranate martini ingredients to ensure we're organized and ready to go.
- Pomegranate juice: I use 100 percent pure pomegranate juice. You can typically find it near the refrigerated salad dressings in the produce section.
- Vodka: I like vodka because of its neutral flavor in the martini, which allows the pomegranate to shine. That said, white rum, gin or tequila are all tasty substitutes if you’re not a vodka fan.
- Grand Mariner: This is a cognac-based orange liqueur. Cointreau is also a good option to make it a top-shelf martini. Otherwise, we could use triple sec.
- Fresh lime juice: Because fresh is best.
- Simple syrup: For just a touch of sweetness to round out the flavors.
- Ice: After all, who doesn’t want a perfectly chilled martini?
- Ginger ale: This gives us that sparkling touch.
- Bar tools: A cocktail shaker, handheld lime juicer, and a jigger or small measuring cup are all we need.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let’s show you how this is truly one easy pomegranate martini recipe.
We grab our cocktail shaker and add the vodka, pomegranate juice, Grand Marnier, simple syrup and fresh lime juice. Now we add a handful of ice, put on the top and give it a good shake for about 30 seconds to make sure it’s nice and cold.
After shaking, we pour our festive pomegranate drink into our glass and top with a splash of ginger ale. Gently stir, sip and enjoy.
Bonus: For another bubbly holiday cocktail, try my cranberry French 75!
Expert Tips and FAQs
- Before juicing the lime, firmly roll it on the counter under the palm of your hand a few times. This helps get the juice flowing.
- I recommend using a handheld lime squeezer to get as much juice as possible.
- If you don’t have a cocktail shaker, a mason jar with a lid takes care of business.
- A classic martini glass is great for serving, but I love the elegant look a coupe glass gives. Your choice.
- A chilled serving glass is always appreciated with martinis. I like to do this by either placing the glass in the freezer at least 30 minutes before serving or filling the serving glass with cold water and ice while you make the sparkling pomegranate cocktail. When you’re ready to serve, toss the ice and water and voila! You have a chilled glass for one refreshing cocktail.
- For an extra elegant touch, I like to garnish with an orange twist and a candied rosemary sprig. To make the candied rosemary, brush with simple syrup and then sprinkle with sugar.
Perfect Pairing
You will love my Christmas roast duck with cranberry-orange glaze paired with this sparkling pomegranate martini. The cranberry and orange match wonderfully with that fizzy ginger kick, and the bubbles help cut through the rich duck.
But don’t feel like you can’t enjoy this easy pomegranate cocktail outside of the holidays. For a more low-key food pairing, it’s great with my slow-roasted blood orange salmon.
When you need an easy yet elegant cocktail, I hope you try this sparkling pomegranate martini.
Cheers!
Looking for More Festive Cocktails?
- Sparkling cranberry-ginger margarita
- Sugar Plum Fairy Martini
- Chai-cranberry bourbon smash
- Winter Wonderland Margarita
- Cranberry-spice Christmas mimosa
If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.
📖 Recipe
Sparkling Pomegranate Martini
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Citrus juicer
- Jigger or small measuring cup
Ingredients
- 2 ounces pomegranate juice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- ½ lime juiced
- Ice
- Splash of ginger ale
- Orange twist optional, for garnish
- Rosemary sprig optional, for garnish
- Pomegranate arils optional, for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add the pomegranate juice, vodka, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, lime juice and a handful of ice.
- Put on the top and shake vigorously until cold, about 30 seconds.
- Strain into a chilled martini or coupe glass. Top with a splash of ginger ale and gently stir. If desired, garnish with an orange twist, rosemary sprig and pomegranate arils. Enjoy!
Notes
- For full tips, please see blog post.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Kayla DiMaggio says
This martini was such a fun recipe to make for date night!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Totally agree! It's such an elegant sipper.
Amy Roskelley says
I love pomegranate juice! this is perfect.
Helen says
I am a huge fan of pomegranate but have not had many pomegranate cocktails. I've been trying out new cocktails on weekends recently to inject some fun into the monotony of the UK lockdown, this will be next up for sure.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I completely understand. At-home cocktails have definitely been adding a little cheer to our household. I hope this helps!
Naiby says
You're right! This drink looks so elegant and versatile for any festive occasion. I love your suggestions for pairings.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thanks, Naiby! I hope it was helpful.
Gunjan says
Oh my gosh! I can’t praise enough this recipe. It’s so good. Even my friends loved this martini.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
So glad it was a hit!
Ramona says
I have been meaning to try and make a cocktail for a while now and this one seems perfect! I love pomegranate a lot and making it into a drink sounds super refreshing. I will definitely be trying this out soon, thank you for sharing!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Home cocktails are so fun, especially since we can't really go anywhere right now! This is perfect if you're just getting into it. Hope you enjoy!
Uma Srinivas says
What a beautiful glass of pomegranate martini! I bet this will be tatse yummy and perfect to entertain the guests!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Absolutely! It's a delight.
Candice says
Such a delicious cocktail, and one I'll be making over and over again. So good.. but be careful... you won't even realize there's alcohol in this one! Cheers!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Haha, that's good advice! It definitely goes down easily. Glad you enjoyed!
Kate says
5 stars! I got to show-off during our New Year party with this drink. It WAS A HIT! Great recipe!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Yay! I'll cheers to that!
Adriana says
You always have so many good cocktails! This one didn't disappoint. Perfect sparkling drink with a kick. I love ginger ale and pom juice. Happy New Year!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Awww, thanks so much, Adriana! They're my favorite. ??
Debbie says
This Pomegranate Martini is my new favorite cocktail of all times. The balance of sweetness and hint tart is perfect. My husband and I sipped on these NYE and we both adored them.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! I'm glad you both loved it!
veenaazmanov says
Lovely color and perfect combination.Picture perfect presentation too. Made my evening special.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I'm so glad to hear that! It's amazing what a fun cocktail can do for the evening.