Holidays are a great time for festive cocktails like this one. Pomegranate seeds make a colorful and edible garnish that dance to the top of each glass.
For a non-alcoholic version, use mineral water (plain or lemon-flavored) instead of champagne. Or, use straight sparkling pomegranate juice garnished with pomegranate seeds. It’s a great option for kids — now they can have their own drinks that look just like the adult version! To make things even easier, Trader Joe’s sells pomegranate seeds preshelled and ready to go — no need to struggle with the whole fruit.
If cocktails aren’t your thing, Trader Joe’s is well-known for their terrific wine selection. For great wine buys, check out Jason’s Trader Joe’s Top 10 wine list, just updated this week with best value wines < $10 at Trader Joe’s. Jason is a wine blogger and connoisseur, known for finding wines that deliver great value to the wallet and the palate. The first 3 wines in Jason’s list are shown below. For the full list, check out Jason’s Top 10 Wine List.
1. 2007 Trentatre Rosso ($6) – A wine that has grown on me with every bottle. I am now smitten with this well balanced effort that offers a very nice finish to boot. Supplies are waning and I’ve been grabbing every bottle I can find…
2. 2007 Rabbit Ridge Allure de Robles ($5) – If my readers haven’t emptied stores of this one by now you may still have a chance to get some. The only reason this didn’t make the top spot is the high ABV%. That said, I just grabbed another case of this a few days back. Fantastic stuff!
3. 2008 Sauvignon Republic Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc ($7) – I’ve yet to try the Marlborough (91 points from the Wine Spectator) or the Russian River but already stocked up on all three. Pretty soon I intend to do a blind tasting of the lot. Can I pick out the differences in terroir? Stay tuned!
Continue reading more of Jason’s tips on his blog.
Hope these drink suggestions come in handy as you prepare to ring in the New Year!
Sparkling Pomegranate Cocktail Recipe
6 tsp refrigerated fresh Pomegranate Seeds
1 bottle champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
1 cup Just Pomegranate juice, chilled
1. Put 1 tsp pomegranate seeds in each cocktail glass.
2. Combine champagne and pomegranate juice in a pitcher. Pour into cocktail glasses and serve.
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 6