Pomegranate Poinsettia

Written by
Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham is a cocktail expert, professional bartender, and cookbook author with over 10 years of experience in the food-writing world.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Colleen Graham
Updated 09/06/19
Pomegranate Poinsettia
Image Source / Getty Images
  • Total: 3 mins
  • Prep: 3 mins
  • Cook: 0 mins
  • Serving: 1 serving

Transform a favorite holiday Champagne cocktail into a pomegranate delight. Elegant and fruity, the pomegranate poinsettia is perfect for entertaining during the holidays.

The recipe is courtesy of Pama, the popular pomegranate liqueur with a deep ruby red color and sweet, alluring taste. It's a slight variation of the well-known poinsettia. The primary differences are that it swaps out the cranberry juice for orange and adds Pama to the mix. It's a delightful switch and both poinsettias are so easy to mix up that you could offer guests their choice from the two cocktails.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the pomegranate and orange liqueurs as well as the orange juice.

  3. Slowly add the Champagne, stirring gently.

  4. Strain into a Champagne flute.

  5. Serve and enjoy!

Tips

  • If you like, you can also simply pour the first three ingredients into the flute, stir, then top with Champagne. That works best if all ingredients are chilled beforehand.
  • For the orange liqueur, choose a premium brand that matches the quality of Pama. Any of the main styles will work out just fine, including orange curaçao, triple sec, and brandy-based options like Grand Marnier.
  • True French Champagne is not required. Instead, you can use any sparkling wine; Prosecco and Cava are good budget-friendly options.
  • Fresh-squeezed orange juice will make a better pomegranate poinsettia. The average orange yields between 2 and 3 ounces of juice, so a single piece of fruit is enough for a few cocktails.

Recipe Variations

  • For quick party service, mix equal parts of the first three ingredients in a large batch and store it in a chilled pitcher. When it's time to serve, simply pour from the pitcher and top each glass with Champagne.
  • If you want to add a garnish, drop a few pomegranate arils (the seeds) into each glass or drape an elegant orange twist over the rim.
  • To knock the cocktail's strength down a notch, pour pomegranate juice rather than the liqueur.
  • You can also make a nonalcoholic version of the pomegranate poinsettia for guests who don't drink. Simply skip the orange liqueur, pour pomegranate juice, and switch from wine to sparkling grape juice.

How Strong Is a Pomegranate Poinsettia?

Since the majority of this cocktail is made up of Pama and wine, it's a relatively low-proof drink. When using the average 60 proof orange liqueur, it mixes up to just 13 percent ABV (26 proof). That's a similar alcohol content to wine, so you won't have to worry about guests getting drunk off a glass or two.