A Conscious Feast by Nicole Aloni

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan Recipe

Pomegranate Cosmo, photo M. Rodriguez

Cosmos remain hugely popular and pomegranate juice is just plain delicious. Here these two favorites are combined in a variation on the traditional Cosmopolitan with directions that make it simple to serve at a party.

By freezing the pomegranate juice into hot-pink ice cubes, you keep this cocktail cool on the buffet without diluting its potency. The colored cubes also create a pretty “sunset” pattern as they melt.

Note: To make this as an individual cocktail, divide the quantities by 6 and chill in a cocktail shaker, strain, and pour.

EASE OF PREPARATION: A snap

Makes 6 cocktails

POMEGRANATE COSMOS

• 2/3 cup cup pomegranate (or cranberry) juice
• 16 ounces (2 cups) premium organic vodka, like Washington’s Dry Fly
• 4 ounces fresh lime juice
• 4 ounces Cointreau liqueur

GARNISH

• Lime wheels,pomegranate seeds and/or raspberries

1. Pour the pomegranate juice into an ice cube tray and freeze.
2. Combine the vodka, lime juice, and Cointreau in a large bowl. Add 2 to 3 cups of ice and stir briefly to chill (5 to 10 seconds). Strain into a pretty, clear pitcher. Chill for at least half an hour. Chill 6 martini glasses.

TO SERVE

• If you are going to serve everyone immediately, put 1 or 2 pomegranate ice cubes in the bottom of each glass and pour the vodka blend over it. If you want this to sit out on the buffet for a few minutes, add the pomegranate cubes to the pitcher and allow guests to serve themselves in the chilled, garnished glasses. Garnish each glass with a wheel of sliced lime, pomegranate seeds or raspberries.