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This Pomegranate Paloma is the most festive paloma recipe to enjoy this holiday season! It’s made with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, lime juice, tequila, homemade cinnamon simple syrup, and a splash of soda water! It’s easily made in a cocktail shaker, or it can be made pitcher-style for a crowd too. I love garnishing them with pomegranate arils and a sprig of sugared rosemary!
Say hi to the most festive cocktail EVER. I’m a sucker for a good cocktail, as you guys probably know. Especially during the holidays! This paloma recipe is filled with all the good things – fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, pomegranate juice, tequila, CINNAMON simple syrup, and a splash of soda water for a little fizz. See, all the good things!
Aside from the festive color and the cinnamon simple syrup, the part that makes these extra extra festive, is the sugared rosemary sprigs! I make them exactly like I make my sugared cranberries – and they’re SO easy! And they look like little Christmas trees! Adorable.
I explain exactly how to make sugared cranberries in this post + I explain how to make the sugared rosemary sprigs in the recipe below! All you do is dunk them in a little simple syrup, let them dry for a bit, and then dip them in more sugar!
Super easy.
Aside from being a beautiful cocktail garnish, they’re fun to use to decorate cheeseboards, or whatever holiday spread you want! They keep pretty well at room temperature, uncovered, for a few days if you want to make them ahead for a party!
And if you’re wondering what a paloma even is – it’s similar to a margarita, minus the orange liqueur, add grapefruit juice and soda water! Think tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, soda water, and a little sweetener. They are heavenly. Especially to a tequila lover like myself! This is basically my classic paloma recipe, but with a little holiday flair!
This one is INCREDIBLE because the pomegranate juice adds a little more sweetness and a little bit of tartness, and the cinnamon simple syrup adds depth, spice, interest, and it balances out all of that citrus flavor!
If you’re entertaining with these and you want to make them ahead of time, this is exactly how I’d do it:
- Up to 1 week ahead of time:
- make your cinnamon simple syrup and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge
- decide what glasses you’re serving them in and set them aside so you don’t have to think about it!
- Up to 2-3 days ahead of time:
- squeeze your grapefruit juice – keep it in a sealed container in the fridge
- squeeze your lime juice – also keep it in a sealed container
- make your sugared rosemary sprigs (keep them out and uncovered – the goal is to keep them as dry as possible)
I’ve said this several times, but if you’re making cocktails for a crowd, I’d highly recommend using a citrus juicer like this one
. It really saves a lot of time AND your hands!
Definitely going to be my Christmas cocktail this year!
If you’re looking for more ideas, here are some more festive favorites!
Christmas Sangria
Cranberry Pitcher Margaritas
Winter Citrus Crush
Spiced Blood Orange Palomas
Pear Ginger Champagne Punch
Sparkling Blood Orange Sangria
Winter Rosé Sangria
Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel White Russians
Spiced Cranberry Old Fashioned
Pomegranate Rosemary Clementine Margaritas
Cranberry Pear Moscow Mules
Don’t forget to share a photo on Instagram and tag me @spicesinmydna if you make this recipe! Nothing makes me happier than seeing what you create in the kitchen.
Pomegranate Paloma
Pomegranate Palomas are the most festive drink to enjoy this holiday season! They're made with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, lime juice, tequila, homemade cinnamon simple syrup, and a splash of soda water! They're easily made in a cocktail shaker, or they can be made pitcher-style for a crowd too.
CourseBeverage, Booze, Cocktail, Cocktails, Drink, Drinks
CuisineAmerican, Mexican
Keywordchristmas cocktail, christmas tequila drink, easy paloma recipe, festive cocktail, festive holiday cocktail, grapefruit pomegranate cocktail, homemade paloma recipe, paloma recipe, pomegranate cocktails, pomegranate paloma, pomegranate paloma recipe, unique paloma recipe, winter themed cocktails
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 1 cocktail, is easily multiplied
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA
Ingredients
For the palomas
- 2ounces tequila
- 2ouncesfreshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- 2 1/2ouncespomegranate juice
- 1ouncefreshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 1/2ouncescinnamon simple syrup
- splash of soda water
- sugared rosemary sprigs, for garnish (optional)
- pomegranate arils, for garnish
- grapefruit slices, for garnish
For the cinnamon simple syrup
- 1cupwater
- 1cupsugar
- 2cinnamon sticks
For the sugared rosemary
- rosemary sprigs (however many you want!)
- 1cupwater
- 1 1/2cupssugar
Instructions
For the paloma
Fill a glass with crushed ice. Add a few ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and add the tequila, grapefruit juice, pomegranate juice, lime juice, and cinnamon simple syrup. Shake for 20 seconds and pour in the glass. Top with a splash or two of club soda, stir to combine, and garnish with a sprig of sugared rosemary, a sprinkle of pomegranate arils, and a grapefruit slice, if desired. Enjoy immediately!
For the cinnamon simple syrup
Bring the water, sugar, and cinnamon sticks to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes to let the cinnamon infuse. Let cool completely, then strain and discard cinnamon sticks.
For the sugared rosemary sprigs
Bring water and ½ cup of the sugar to a boil. Once boiling, stir for thirty seconds until dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in the rosemary sprigs. Stir until completely coated, then shake of the excess syrup and transfer to a wire rack to dry. Let dry for 30 minutes - 1 hour, then roll in the remaining sugar, working in batches. Transfer back to the rack, and let dry for an additional hour. Store in a cool, dry place.
Recipe Notes
*Extra cinnamon simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 month.
*To make these pitcher-style for a crowd, I'd measure all of the cocktail ingredients out for how many people you want to make them for, add everything to a pitcher, and chill the mixture in the fridge. When you're ready to serve, add the club soda, pomegranate arils, and grapefruit slices if desired, and serve! (And you may need to double or triple the simple syrup depending on how many people you're making them for!)
*This is the citrus juicer I use!
*If you're entertaining with these and you want to make them ahead of time, this is exactly how I'd do it:
- Up to 1 week ahead of time:
- make your cinnamon simple syrup and keep it in a sealed container in the fridge
- decide what glasses you're serving them in and set them aside so you don't have to think about it!
- Up to 2-3 days ahead of time:
- squeeze your grapefruit juice - keep it in a sealed container in the fridge
- squeeze your lime juice - also keep it in a sealed container
- make your sugared rosemary sprigs (keep them out and uncovered - the goal is to keep them as dry as possible)
There may be an affiliate link(s) in this post, which means that if you click on a product link above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you SO much for reading!
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