portrait of a cocktail // the pomegranate poinsettia

With 2014 coming to a close and holiday parties at their peak (oh hello, Christmas in ONE WEEK), our to-do lists seem to be snowballing out of control! If you’re knee deep in online shopping, writing New Years resolutions, and getting those presents perfectly packaged, it may be a tad daunting to ponder just what potent potable you’ll be serving at your holiday soirée this weekend.

Don’t fret, we have got you covered! The Poinsettia is your saving grace for holiday gatherings! Not those red flowers you see eveeerywhere during Christmas time (they are actually poisonous to animals, so they are not Noodle- or Georgette-friendly decor.) We’re talkin’ about the tasty crimson cocktail. It’s a traditional sipper that fits into the season’s festivities perfectly — spirited and red!

The Poinsettia is a holiday classic for a reason — it’s super simple and a real crowd pleaser! There is no vigorous shaking involved and the proportions can be tweaked to your party guests tastes! Spirited folks? Add just a splash of the cranberry & pomegranate juice. Sweet-toothed crowd on you hands? Add a touch more juice and champagne. You can even make a sinless-sipper for the DD. Just omit the vodka and champagne and replace with ginger ale or club soda for fizziness.

Traditionally, the cocktail calls for plain ol’ cranberry juice, but we couldn’t resist adding cranberry’s sweet-tart cousin, the pomegranate, into the mix. They are so plentiful this time of year and their beautiful seeds are like jewels. We always say fresh is best, but in a pinch, a bottled pomegranate juice will do just fine in this recipe (we won’t tell!)

The Pomegranate Poinsettia
Ingredients

• 1 oz cranberry
• 1oz Pomegranate juice
• 4 oz champagne
• 1 oz vodka
• 2 berry & rosemary ice cubes (recipe below)

Pour vodka into glass. Add the cranberry and pomegranate juices. Stir with bar spoon. Add the champagne. Place two ice cubes in the drink for garnish.

Berry & Rosemary Ice Cubes

Ingredients

• 1 handful small berries
• 4  stalks rosemary

Remove stems from berries. Remove rosemary leaves from stalks. Full ice cube trades with water. Add berries and rosemary to the cubes. Freeze until completely frozen.

We also jazzed the drink up with rosemary and winter berry ice cubes! The rosemary mimics the fresh evergreens of the season and the berries add another vibrant punch of color. It’s almost like having a wreath in your glass! Gold rimmed coups add a beautiful shimmer to the crimson cocktail. Red and gold are a match made in holiday heaven!

You may already have all these ingredients in your fridge which a makes party planning a real breeze. The trickiest part may be finding berries for the ice cubes. Currants & peppercorn berries make for perfect additions to the festive ice and will add a sweet or spicy touch as the ice begins to melt. We found our berries at a local flower shop, but a natural grocers will have a great selection of winter berries.

Ready for refills? Preparation is easy so you won’t be tending bar all night long. You’ll be back cheers-ing to good times in no time!

Happy imbibing!

p.s. get more cocktail recipes here!
recipe by Ashley Rose for Jojotastic. photography by Jojotastic.