Counting my post of the Milkshake Shot back in August, I have decided to do a “12 Days of Cocktails” here at Medium of Mixology for the next 11 days. I’m overdue to review some new drinks and finish off the year with a BANG so to speak. As 2020 has been a dozen dumpster fires inside of another dumpster fire, we could also use a few good drinks to numb the pain of this year from ever harming us again.

So, a few months back I finally got my hands on some Pomegranate Liqueur. I’ve seen it in various recipes over the years, but could never manage to track some down until recently. Granted I wasn’t going out of my way to find it, but the bottle certainly did catch my attention. Pama Pomegranate Liqueur mixed Pomegranate Juice with Vodka and Tequila for an interesting sweet and tart flavor for a cocktail. Drinking through a whole bottle in a week I was convinced that it was the perfect choice for a Christmas themed cocktail creation.

After a bit of trial and error I finally came up with this simple crowd-pleaser! Specific to the season this cocktail requires the “Winter Spiced Cranberry” Sprite only available in November and December every year, so if you want to make this later in 2021 stock up now.

Visually perfect for your guests both in person and/or virtual this season, it’s bright red color offers a nice Christmasy invitation for you. On the nose it’s very much just he cranberry sprite, with a slight bit of tartness on the back end. As for the flavor profile it starts cold and tart, moves to a strong cranberry taste, and finishes with a nice sweetness at the end. What I did find interesting about this creation was that depending on what you’ve been eating/drinking prior it can taste sweeter or more intensely tart. If you’re looking for the sweeter side then start with this cocktail early, but if you want the more bitter tartness then go for it later in the night. The cherry at the start or finish of the cocktail (finish preferably) makes for a nice final treat before going back for more. This recipe would also be very easy to “batch” in advance and simply then pour 2 oz over ice and the sprite for your guests.

By no means perfect, it is a good and simple cocktail to get you in the holiday spirit!

Alcohol Taste Rating: 4/10
Overall Rating: 8/10

Red Nosed Reindeer
1 1/2 Shots Pomegranate Liqueur
1/2 oz Gin
Top Cranberry Sprite
Luxardo Maraschino Cherry

Straight build in an iced tumbler. Garnish with a single cherry on a pick and balanced on the edge of the glass.