The Pomegranate Martini

One of the strangest things about moving to Washington was the idea that I couldn't buy liquor at the grocery store anymore.  It took me almost two months to figure it out, too.  I kept making my giant Fred Meyer list and I'd get to the end of it, by which time the kids were pestering me and I needed to get out of there, and Vodka would be the only item not crossed off.  Fred Meyer is HUGE, so I always figured I just missed that aisle.  Then I finally drove past a liquor store and realized there wasn't a liquor aisle at Fred Meyer.  One Stop Shopping my booty!

Over the years, mostly since having children, I've developed a taste for The Chick Drink.  I'm not sure it's the alcohol that I love so much as that I get to enjoy something that's just for grown ups.  And my drinks are basically like a sweet, tart dessert, so what's not to like?

This drink is crazy easy to make and has very basic ingredients.  I tried, I really really did, to make this into some fru-fru thing where I purchased four-dollar pomegranates and juiced them with my own blood, sweat and tears but you know what?  They sucked that way.  Pomegranates are ridiculously difficult to juice and even after all that work and the huge mess in my kitchen, it didn't actually taste better than store-bought drink mix.  I even tried buying pure pomegranate juice and not even that tasted better. 

So here you go, these are the ingredients for a tasty pomegranate martini.

1/3 cup of Rose's Pomegranate Twist Mix
1/3 cup of Vodka
A splash of Sweet & Sour mix
Rim sugar (this can literally be any kind of sugar, you don't have to buy the $10 tins like this one)

You'll also need:
Martini glasses (mine are from Pier One and cost $2 each)
Cocktail shaker

I'll be honest here, I skimp on the vodka quality.  Since I'm not drinking it straight and I wouldn't know the difference anyway, I tend to buy cheaper brands.  This Svedka stuff was fine, even better than Smirnoff and I think it cost me a couple bucks less.  Of course if you're a Grey Goose person, just use that, you lucky devil.

The first step is to get your glass ready.  I can't emphasize enough how important it is to use a glass made out of glass, preferably with a thin rim.  Because of the kids and my tendency to spill, I made many attempts to enjoy this beverage in a plastic martini cup and it was not the same.  Not even close.  You can't drink a grown-up drink out of a sippy cup.  That said, I go through martini glasses like you can't believe.  I've probably broken at least a half dozen of them over the last couple of years.  They're top heavy and thin and they shatter.  Good thing they're only $2!

So, get out a cocktail plate and pour some Sweet & Sour mix into it.  Just enough to get the rim of your glass wet when you turn it upside down like this:

Next up is the sugar.  If you don't have the actual "rim sugar" tin, then just get out another cocktail plate and throw some sugar onto it in a thin layer.  I really like the look and taste of the thicker, more crystallized sugar you buy at cake stores (and at Michael's).  It makes the rim look like icicles.  I did that for our Christmas party and I thought they looked pretty.  This time I just used the lemon drop sugar tin that Dave bought me for Christmas, like so:

And voila!  Your glass is ready.

(Like I said, this drink is like dessert, so if you're not into that much sweetness, skip the rim sugar.  I always ask my guests whether they want it or not.)

Now fill your cocktail shaker with ice and measure out 1/3 of a cup of Rose's Pomegranate Twist Mix.

Then do the same with your vodka.

This will make a relatively strong cocktail, so if you'd like to not get a buzz then go for slightly less than a third of a cup of vodka.  I then always add a splash of Sweet & Sour because it adds some tartness to the drink and I like that.

Then put the top on your cocktail shaker and make sure you hold the cap on with your finger. (Yet another lesson this bartender learned the hard way).

And shake that puppy up.

I like to shake it pretty hard for about a minute because I like it a bit frothy and with tiny little ice chips in it.  Yumm.  Now pour it into your pretty little prepared glass.

And try not to spill it, like I did.

Did I mention how I need an assistant for these posts?  It's incredibly difficult to take pictures with one hand and pour a martini with the other.  And this was BEFORE I had anything to drink!

I generally tend to make one drink at a time since Dave prefers a scotch on the rocks.  That said, I can make two at a time in my cocktail shaker, just barely.  For a party, you can mix a bunch of cocktails ahead of time and then shake them individually in your shaker before you pour them.

Enjoy!

Comments

[Grace]

Now WHY don't they have a liquor aisle at grocery stores in Washington? Is it a state law or something?

What I found interesting when we moved to Phoenix was that they had DRIVE-THRU liquor places near Arizona State. Now that was a strange thing to see...

[missgirlbliss]

Mmmm looks good. I wish I could indulge myself. The last drink I had before I found out I was pregnant as a pomegranate something or another. Hopefully one day in 2008 I will be able to indulge just a little. I’ll be sure to try this out the next time I have guests over.

Mmmm looks good. I wish I could indulge myself. The last drink I had before I found out I was pregnant as a pomegranate something or another. Hopefully one day in 2008 I will be able to indulge just a little. I’ll be sure to try this out the next time I have guests over.

PS- When I was vacationing in California a few years ago, I was in amazed when I walked into grocery store and buy liquor. Even when I jaunt down to Washington I get a kick out of being able to buy beer and wine in Grocery stores. In British Columbia and most parts of Canada you have to go to a separate store all together for liquor. So inconvenient!

[Ellen]

I love that you have rubber gloves on! So scientific. :)

[beki]

Yum! I may have to give that a try.

[Jamie]

Hating that I'm pregnant right now. You couldn't have posted this six months ago? :)

I live in Utah and state run liquor stores are all we've got. Though you can buy wimpy beer and wine coolers in the stores, if you want something "real", you've got to go somewhere else. It's awful during the holidays because there aren't that many stores and all of us heathens have to wait in long lines to get our booze.

[alana]

Svedka is actually pretty top shelf stuff I love it!

[Erin]

I laughed out loud when I saw the Svedka. Randy buys that all the time. I made fun of him once, calling it the Number One Vodka in Uzbekistan, and after that he quietly started buying Stoli. Svedka's better. But now I can't say anything. Because I'm a big hilarious bitch.

[Rhi]

YUM. My favorite memory is when a friend came to visit me from California and asked at the grocery store what aisle the Jack Daniels was on. I nearly peed my pants.

But, if you ever go to Sunriver (near Bend, OR), there is ONE grocery store with a mini liquor store in it. And, I highly recommend Sunriver. It's lovely.

Also, I will be your assistant on food and alcohol posts :)

[DaisyCake]

looks yummy......and sanitary! (Love the fact that you're wearing rubber gloves!)

[Amanda]

The best thing about this whole Martini making lesson are the GLOVES! Were you simultaneously cleaning the toilet while making your martini? Now, that's what I call multitasking!

Also, I suggest putting your martini glasses in the freezer for a few hours prior to the first sugaring step. It helps keep those awesome vodka-y ice chips lasting longer...or at least until you drink it up!

[Daisy]

Mmm, this post is making me thirsty. It'll do wonders for my cough, too, right? Right?!

[Ali]

I made it last night and spilled mine all over, too. Darn cocktail shakers! And I used yummy pineapple sugar - delish!

[kerri]

oh sounds yummy, but i'm over the martinis at this point. i went to miami on vacation and discovered this brazilian drink - a caipirinha - it's made with some crazy yummy rum called Leblond or LeBlon. the bartender we had made it with pomegranate and we were in heaven! let me know when you are making one of those... and those gloves are a hoot!