Sparkling Pomegranate Punch – party perfection!

 Juicy, sparkling, and tart, ruby red pomegranate punch, highlighted by fresh citrus and mint, is a welcome addition to brunch and holiday menus. 

Holiday menus can be almost too heavy and rich sometimes, don’t you think? All that butter, meat, sugar, and starch. So good, but you need something zingy and fresh to provide a balance. Brunches can be the same way. I love all the French toast, egg casseroles, and muffins but whew! you need something light and fruity to go with it. 

Sparkling pomegranate punch fits the bill perfectly. The tart pomegranate juice and citrus slices swirled in bubbly sparkling wine is refreshing and bright, a perfect counterpoint to winter holiday meals. I often serve pomegranate mojitos around the holidays for that very reason.

I think you’ll find this sparkling pomegranate punch is great for summer sipping, too! With lots of ice and fresh mint, pomegranate punch is perfect all year round. 

About this sparkling pomegranate punch

 This is a very easy punch to prepare. If they are in season (fall and winter) you can buy fresh pomegranates and remove the seeds (arils) yourself. If you’re not confident about how to do that, we’ll teach you how in this tutorial about how to cut a pomegranate (without a huge mess!).

Each pomegranate will yield approximately 1 cup of seeds. Most grocery stores sell the arils already removed from the pomegranate if you’d rather go that route.

Buy prepared pomegranate juice, such as POM. Pomegranates are super nutritious with lots of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties so drinking pomegranate punch is good for you, too, and that’s a happy thing. The juice is quite tart so we blend in a little sugar. If you like to pucker up, skip the sugar. If you like things just a bit sweeter, increase the sugar.

The level of sweetness is also affected by the wine you choose: brut, extra-brut, dry, extra-dry, demi-sec, etc. The drier the wine, the more tart the punch. Choose the bubbly you normally drink.

In some ways, this punch is similar to sangria, with the sliced citrus, but using sparkling wine gives it brightness and zingy bubbles. I like to serve pomegranate punch in stemless wine glasses, with lots of ice. The fresh mint garnish is optional but I really recommend it. Squeeze the leaves a bit so they emit a nice minty aroma as you sip. 

Stir up a pitcher of pomegranate punch for your next holiday soirée and watch it disappear. Serve it with butternut squash crostini if you have extra arils. This punch would go perfectly with candied bacon (pig candy), any type of crostini, or sausage pinwheels or with a cheese or charcuterie board.

What’s in this pomegranate punch

• Pomegranate juice, and pomegranate arils (seeds)
• A bit of sugar, to taste
• 2 sliced oranges
• 1 sliced lemon
• A bottle of chilled sparkling wine (champagne, prosecco, spumante), your choice
• Lots of ice
• Fresh mint, to garnish (totally optional)

How to make this sparkling punch your own

• Make virgin, or non-alcoholic sparkling punch. Substitute a non-alcoholic sparkling wine, or flavored sparkling (carbonated) water for the wine. You’ll need to increase the sugar if you are using plain carbonated water. Or substitute ginger ale, Canada Dry, or 7-up for the wine and omit the sugar.
• Try cranberry sparkling punch. Substitute cranberry juice for the pomegranate juice, and crushed cranberries for the arils. Or try a Cranberry Margarita!
• Love sangria? Instead of sparkling wine, add your favorite red wine to the fruit/juice mixture.

Make-Ahead Tips

To make ahead, prepare the juice and fruit. This mixture will keep up to seven days in the fridge. Just before serving, add the juice and fruit to pitcher, and pour in the the sparkling wine.

More cocktail Inspiration

Looking for more lip smacking libations? Try one of these easy recipes:

• Sparkling Pink Lemonade (with cocktail option!)
• Bay Breeze cocktail with cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and vodka
• Negroni — learn how to make the best Negroni cocktail!
• Classic Gin and Tonic Recipe with tips to make the best!
• Vanilla Bourbon Fizz (Bourbon Champagne Cocktail)
• Vodka Lemonade (an easy vodka cocktail)
• Watermelon Lemonade with Mint (with cocktail option!)
• Frozen Sangria Slushie
• Frosé Recipe (the best frozen Rosé)
• Grapefruit and Elderflower Cocktail