This refreshing pomegranate mocktail is a beautiful, festive drink made with pomegranate juice, freshly squeezed orange, and ginger ale. Finished with a squirt of lime, the flavours are perfectly balanced, being slightly tart yet sweet and fizzy.
This pretty drink can be enjoyed any time of year but is especially delightful in the fall and winter when pomegranates are in season. Because it contains no alcohol, it is suitable for everyone and is perfect for serving with brunch or as an alternative to cocktails any time of day.
This pomegranate juice mocktail is a light, refreshing drink that is fizzy and bright with a balance of sweet and tart flavors. Because it is made without alcohol, it can be easily served for any occasion.
If you like this fruity drink, you may also enjoy our Virgin Strawberry Mojitos, or if you need to serve a larger crowd, try a batch of Tropical Mocktail Punch.
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What is a Pomegranate Mocktail?
A pomegranate mocktail is a beautiful and festive drink made with pomegranate juice, freshly squeezed orange juice, ginger ale and lime.
This refreshing, fizzy beverage is poured into glasses that have been filled with ice. They can be garnished with orange or lime slices, pomegranate arils, or a sugared rim.
This drink is slightly tart from the pomegranate juice, but is balanced with the sweetness of the orange juice and ginger ale. A squeeze of fresh lime juice brings everything together.
This sparkling pomegranate orange drink is quick and easy to make. It is a festive mocktail to serve around the holidays, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. We love serving this drink at Christmas brunch.
Because there is no alcohol in this drink, it can be enjoyed by kids or adults and is a great alternative for those wanting something special without having a traditional cocktail.
It is made with simple ingredients and takes just minutes to prepare. Depending on your preference, it can be customized by using more or less ginger ale. If you don’t like ginger ale, you can also use lemon-lime soda or club soda for a slightly different flavour.
Ingredients & Substitutions for Pomegranate Fizz Mocktail
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You only need a few ingredients to make these delicious pomegranate mocktails. You will require the following:
- Pomegranate juice – Choose real, 100% pomegranate juice for this recipe rather than pomegranate cocktail, or any of the blends, for best flavour.
- Fresh squeezed orange juice – I recommend freshly squeezed naval oranges, but blood oranges make a nice alternative as well.
- Ginger ale – You can use diet or regular, depending on your prefrence. Lemon-lime soda will work as well, but will change the flavour. If you want a drink that is fizzy, but don’t want it to be sweet, club soda is another alternative.
- Lime – Fresh lime juice is best, and you only need a small wedge for this recipe. If you don’t have fresh limes you can use bottled lime juice instead, but you may want to reduce the amount as it can have a slightly bitter aftertaste.
- Ice – Ice cubes are prefered over crushed ice. Crushed ice will melt faster, resulting in a diluted drink. If you can find clear, purified ice, even better. You should be able to locate it in most grocery stores or gas stations and some fast food restaraunts will even sell you some. Be sure to use lots!
- Garnish –Pomegranate seeds, lime slices, orange slices, fresh rosemary sprigs, or mint leaves all make pretty garnishes for this simple mocktail.
Pro-Tip: Be sure to use real, 100% pomegranate juice and fresh squeezed lime juice for this recipe instead of a pomegranate cocktail or any of the many blends available, as it will give your mocktail a better flavour and brighter colour. A pomegranate cocktail can be substituted if needed, but it will result in a sweeter drink with a slightly different flavour.
Step by Step Instructions
Fill a glass with ice and add one ounce of pomegranate juice.
Juice the fresh oranges and add one ounce to the glass.
Top the glass with ginger ale. Pour slowly, as the juice will cause the soda to fizz more than usual. Use more or less ginger ale, depending on your preference.
Add a squirt of fresh lime juice and garnish with orange, lime slices or pomegranate arils and serve.
Pro-Tip: If you like, you can rim your glasses with sugar before you pour your mocktail. Cut a wedge from a lime or an orange and run it along the rim of the glass, then dip it in a shallow bowl of granulated sugar.
How to Prepare a Pomegranate
Pomegranates, with their firm rind, white membrane, and many seeds called arils, may seem intimidating to prepare, but it’s actually quite simple to open these tasty fruits and expose the lovely, juicy seeds without too much mess.
Step 1 – Using a small, sharp knife, carefully cut a square around the fuzzy stem at the top of the pomegranate. You want to pierce the skin enough to cut through the rind but not so deep that you are cutting into the arils.
Step 2 – Use the knife to pry the square from the pomegranate, and then use your hands to pull it from the top. Next, use the knife to cut through the rind of the pomegranate from each point of the square. Cut from the point down and around the fruit until you reach the bottom. You will make four cuts from the four points of the square.
Step 3 – Set the knife aside, and using your hands, gently pull each cut section away from the centre of the fruit.
Step 4 – You will end with four sections of pomegranate full of seeds, plus a small point of seeds in the middle. To remove the seeds, hold a section over a bowl and gently rub your fingers over the seeds to loosen them from the white membrane.
Equipment
While you really don’t need fancy equipment to make these sparkling mocktails, a few things will help make the experience more enjoyable.
Highball glasses – Any cocktail glasses will work. I like to use tall glasses for this recipe, but you can use anything you like. This drink is pretty in wine glasses, champagne flutes, and whisky glasses. If you don’t have any fancy glassware, you can use whatever you have; even mason jars make great glasses for mocktails.
Jigger – A jigger will allow you to measure your ingredients precisely. It is small and designed to measure and pour the smaller quantities that are generally used in beverages. You can use a small measuring cup or glass if you don’t have a jigger.
Citrus juicer – There are many styles of juicer and reamers to choose from and any of them will work. If you don’t have one, you can simply squeeze the oranges by hand.
Cocktail picks – Cocktail picks are not essential but will allow you to add fun garnishes without falling to the glass’s bottom.
Top Tips & FAQS
Because of the fizzy soda, we don’t recommend making this drink ahead of time. However, you can pre-squeeze the oranges and slice the garnishes to make assembly at the time of serving quick and easy.
More Holiday Drinks
Printable Recipe
Pomegranate Mocktail
Ingredients
- 1 oz pomegranate juice 100% pure
- 1 oz freshly squeezed orange juice
- 6-8 oz ginger ale
- ¼ oz fresh lime juice
- ice
Instructions
- Fill a glass halfway with ice.
- Add 1 ounce of pomegranate juice, then squeeze the oranges and add 1 ounce of fresh orange juice.
- Top the glass with ginger ale, pouring slowly to prevent the soda from bubbling over the glass.
- Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and garnish as desired with orange slices, lime slices, or fresh pomegranate arils.
Notes
- Makes one drink, approximately 10 ounces
- Ice cubes are preferred over crushed ice as crushed ice will melt faster and dilute the drink.
- Choose 100% pomegranate juice for the best result. A Pomegranate cocktail will result in a sweeter drink and less pure flavour.
- If you want to rim the glass with sugar, run a lime wedge around the edge, then dip the glass in a shallow dish of granulated sugar before filling it with ice.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.