We’re continuing our February “red month” with my new favorite (albeit not particularly red) cocktail, the Pomegranate Gin Fizz. A twist on the classic gin fizz cocktail recipe, we coupled egg white with the tart but refreshing combination of pomegranate and cranberry, resulting in a delicious, light cocktail.
Since I won’t share mine (even with Chris), click here to start making your own!
How to Make the Pomegranate Fizz
SO WHAT IS A FIZZ ANYWAY?
Basically, a fizz is a sour-style classic cocktail (base spirit, sweetener, and acid/citrus juice), plus the addition of a sparkling component, usually soda water/club soda. It’s garnished with a lemon or lime, depending on your ingredients. Here’s how we made this cocktail a fizz:
- Base spirit = gin,
- Sour component = lemon juice
- Sweetener = cranberry and pomegranate syrup
- Sparkling element = Ginger beer (This replaces the traditional carbonated water– but add this after you shake everything so your drink doesn’t explode while shaking!)
- We also added egg white, technically making it a “royal fizz.” Had we used a whole egg with the egg yolk, it would have been considered a “golden fizz.” So fancy!
The Pomegranate Fizz
Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin
- 1-2 oz Ginger Beer (We used 1.5 oz but probably would prefer 1 oz)
- 1 oz Pomegranate-Cranberry syrup
- .5 oz Fresh lemon juice
- .75 oz egg white
Pomegranate – Cranberry Syrup
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cranberry juice
First, Make the Syrup:
Cover the pomegranate seeds with sugar, stir, and let sit for 3-4 hours. Then add cranberry juice and stir to dissolve any remaining sugar. Fine-strain before using in a cocktail.
Instructions:
- Add gin, syrup, egg whites, and lemon juice to a Boston Shaker and dry shake (no ice) to build foam. Add ice and shake again.
- Strain into a Collins glass or Champagne Flute
- Top with ginger beer
- Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds and a lemon rind
OK, LET’S DO THIS!
For this delicious cocktail, Chris chose Madam Pattirini gin, which has a ginger element to it– It works SO well with the ginger beer!
We also made the syrup by macerating pomegranate seeds instead of boiling. Maceration is literally just letting the seeds soak in sugar for a few hours. Then Chris added cranberry juice for flavor, strained it out, and voilà! Cranberry-pomegranate syrup.
Tip:
If you need to speed up the process, heat the combined pomegranate seeds and sugar in the microwave for no more than 30 seconds to create some syrup. (Don’t heat for longer because the pomegranate seeds will turn a muddy brown. Not pretty.)
Since this is another egg white cocktail, it’s another perfect opportunity to talk about the “dry shake.” We used the dry shake last week in the “Can’t Be Beet” Cocktail, but we didn’t go into too much detail about why we prefer that technique. Since we’re using it again here, maybe it’s worth explaining why it’s way better (ya know, IMHO).
The Dry Shake is better than the Reverse Dry Shake Because…
- It creates thicker foam (vs the “reverse dry shake,” which has more foam, but it’s looser)
- Smaller bubbles create a more robust structure for floating garnish or creating stencil patterns (also stick around longer).
- Tiny bubbles combined with thicker foam creates a silky-smooth mouthfeel (especially when paired with ginger beer, as seen in the video).
GARNISH #FAIL.
Garnishing this drink was an interesting experiment. A traditional gin fizz is garnished with a lemon wedge, and we decided to get creative. Oof. Chris cut a lemon rind and then used a small, circular cookie cutter to shape it. I then promptly threw it on the floor. (Check out the video for Chris’ good save – making a new one on the fly!) #awkward
- When we added the lemon slice to the top of the drink, it looked adorably like a little hat. A few pomegranate seeds on top finished the look. But it was nearly impossible to drink with the lemon covering the whole top.
- So we tried again, with seeds alone. But this time, they just sank to the bottom of the cocktail, straight through the foam.
- Third time’s the charm! With a bit less ginger beer, we were able to sit the lemon rind right on top with the seeds, and the presentation came out great – though admittedly still had to be removed before drinking. (Looks good on the ‘gram though, amirite?)
WORTH IT.
The end result? A delicious Pomegranate Fizz cocktail with creamy floral notes mixed with a slightly spicy flavor from the ginger. Match that with the tartness of pomegranates and cranberry juice, and this delicious version of a gin fizz is something really special! It truly rivals the classic gin fizz cocktail– but I may be a little biased.
The foam on this one ended up so thick– It was like a creamy meringue (and I mean that in the best way possible). Just make sure not to add too much ginger beer at the end so you don’t take away from all the other complex flavors! Let us know in the comments and in our Facebook group if this is also your new favorite.
DON’T FORGET: THE 4 PIECE SET IS ON SALE IN FEBRUARY!
Chris used our 4-piece set for this cocktail (skipping the fine strainer entirely thanks to the super tight spring on our Hawthorne). If you are in need of some fancy barware, check these out! (Grab it at 15% off for just a couple more days!)
4 PIECE CRAFT BAR SET
The best of the basics. This small kit includes the three tools you need to make most common cocktails: a trusty two-piece Boston shaker, a Hawthorne cocktail strainer and a two-sided jigger.
Pomegranate Fizz
Equipment
- 1 Wine Opener optional opener
- 1 Bar Blade optional opener
Ingredients
Cocktail Ingredients
- 2 oz Gin Madam Pattirini Gin
- 3/4 oz Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup
- 1/2 oz Lemon Juice
- 3/4 oz Egg White
- 3 oz Ginger Beer
Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup
- 1/4 cup Pomegranate Seeds
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Instructions
Cocktail Instructions
- Add all ingredients except ginger geer to a shaker.
- Dry shake, and then add ice and shake again.
- Strain into a Collins glass or champagne flute and top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with lemon peel and pomegranate seeds.
Cranberry Pomegranate Syrup Instructions
- Toss pomegranate seeds in sugar and allow to macerate for a few hours. If you are in a hurry, microwave for 30 seconds.
- After this, mix the pomegranate juice and sugar with the cranberry juice, and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Fine strain before service.