Sparkling Pomegranate Punch – party perfection!

Holiday menus can be almost too heavy and rich sometimes with 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. 

Refreshing Pomegranate Punch

Balances special occasion menus. 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 heavier meals. I often serve pomegranate mojitos, another refreshing cocktail, around the holidays for that very reason.

Popular at summer events, too. I think you’ll find this sparkling pomegranate punch is great for summer sipping, as well. With lots of ice and fresh mint, pomegranate punch is perfect for warmer weather, and it’s really very easy to make.

Bright and fruity. 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. It can easily be made into a alcohol-free punch, too. 

About pomegranates

If they are in season, usually during the 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 making a mess.

Ingredient Notes

• Pomegranate juice: Buy prepared pomegranate juice, such as POM. Pomegranates have lots of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties so drinking pomegranate punch is good for you, too, and that’s a happy thing.
• Pomegranate arils (seeds): Each fresh pomegranate will yield approximately 1 cup of seeds. If you’d like a shortcut, most grocery stores sell the arils already removed from the pomegranate.
• A bottle of chilled sparkling wine: Choose your favorite champagne, prosecco, or spumante. Choose the bubbly you normally drink. Keep reading for non-alcoholic options.
• Sugar: 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.
• Orange and lemon slices: You’ll need 2 oranges and 1 lemon.
• Ice: Be sure that your ice is fresh. Stale ice can ruin a good cocktail.
• Fresh mint leaves: 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.

How To Make Pomegranate Punch

It’s so easy. Simply stir together the pomegranate juice and sugar in a large pitcher, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon, orange slices and pomegranate seeds and lightly stir again. You can do this ahead of time and put the punch in the refrigerator.

When you’re ready to serve the punch, add the chilled sparkling wine to the pitcher and lightly stir. Put ice cubes and mint in glasses and pour the punch over ice.

Serving Suggestions

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.

Easy Variations

• Make it no alcohol: Make virgin or non-alcoholic sparkling punch. Substitute a no alcohol sparkling wine, or flavored sparkling (carbonated) water for the wine. You’ll need to increase the sugar if you are using plain carbonated water. Another option is to substitute ginger ale, Canada Dry, or 7-up for the wine and omit the sugar.
• Cranberry sparkling punch:.Substitute cranberry juice for the pomegranate juice, and crushed cranberries for the arils. We also love this cranberry margarita!
• Sangria punch: 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.