Recipe: Pomegranate Martini

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons natural cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2-3 ounces top-shelf vodka
• 2-6 ounces freshly squeezed or organic pomegranate juice
• half of a lime
• 2 slices lemon
• a martini shaker and glass
• some ice

Instructions

Step 1

Benefits of Pomegranate
Now, have you ever dreamed of having a cocktail that not only takes the edge off of awkward conversation, but also lowers your cholesterol and blood pressure, slows the aging process, and inhibits colon, breast, skin, and prostate cancer?

Lofty goals indeed, but the pomegranate martini aims to achieve.

Step 2

Pomegranate Martini Ingredients
For today's recipe, here's what you'll need. Check it out:

* 2 tablespoons natural cane sugar
* 2 tablespoons water
* 2-3 ounces top-shelf vodka
* 2-6 ounces freshly squeezed or organic pomegranate juice
* half of a lime
* 2 slices lemon
* a martini shaker and glass
* ice

Step 3

When to Buy Pomegranates
Pomegranates are a sweet and tart fruit that are only in season from about late August through the beginning of January.

Their juice comes from these tiny edible ruby-colored seeds, which serve as the basis for this delicious and beautiful cocktail.

Step 4

Make the Simple Syrup
Start by making what's known as "simple syrup," by pre-warming a pan over high heat on your stove top, and adding the sugar and water.

Heat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved and you're left with the sticky, sweet syrup. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Step 5

Set Your Proportions
If you're keeping tabs on your blood sugar, or if you just prefer a less sweet cocktail, you can always substitute Stevia for the sugar, or just skip it all together.

Likewise, if you're making a number of these tasty libations, you can always whip up a larger batch of the simple syrup. Just make sure that your sugar to water ratio remains one to one.

Step 6

Coat the Martini Glass in Sugar
Next, take a small plate and spread a thin layer of sugar over its surface. Run one of the lemon slices around the rim of your glass, wetting it with the citrus juice as you go.

Turn the glass over and carefully rotate it in the sugar.

This step might take a little practice to master, but presenting your pomegranate martini in a perfectly sugared glass is sure to impress.

Step 7

Combine the Vodka and Pomegranate Juice
Fill your martini shaker almost to the top with ice, and add your vodka and pomegranate juice, using a ballpark ratio of two parts pomegranate juice to one part vodka.

How much you use of each is completely up to personal preference, and you may need to play with the total volume a bit to match your martini glass.

A standard shot glass measures about an ounce and a half, so keep in mind that even a relatively weak pomegranate martini still packs a pretty good wallop.

Step 8

Add the Lime Juice and Simple Syrup
Squeeze the juice from your lime into the shaker, and add in the simple syrup, and shake for about 30 seconds.

Some bartenders prefer to use Cointreuax or Triple Sec to add flavor. But using real fruit will not only give your cocktail a zesty bite, the pulp from the lime will also give it an appealingly full body.

Step 9

Pour the Martini Into a Glass
Pour the cocktail into the glass, being sure not to drip over your carefully sugared rim. For an elegant final touch, make a tiny cut into the radius of your final lemon slice, twist into a spiral and hang from the side of the glass.

After sipping one of these, you might never order a Cosmopolitan again. They're so last millennium anyway, aren't they?