This pomegranate julep is the perfect holiday cocktail and uses some of the season's best flavors. It's made with bourbon, pomegranate juice, spiced rosemary syrup, and ice blended so finely that it looks like snow.
Mint juleps are a hallmark of spring and summer here in Kentucky and are my favorite drink once the weather starts to turn warm; just check out my the best mint julep recipe and fresh blackberry mint julep. I love this winter version made with rosemary and pomegranate instead of mint.
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Key Ingredients:
- Bourbon: juleps are almost always made with bourbon. But you could substitute for rye or even brandy!
- Pomegranate Juice: Use a good not from concentrate pomegranate juice for the best flavor.
- Spiced rosemary syrup: this is made with sugar, fresh rosemary, cinnamon sticks, and ground clove.
- Finely blended crushed ice: this is key to achieving the snowball-like dome on top of the drink. I blended the ice in a food processor for about 30 seconds to make it crushed enough.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this recipe:
- Step 1: Start by making the syrup by mixing 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 4 rosemary sprigs, 5 cinnamon sticks, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. Cook on medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Let cool, then strain.
- Step 2: Next, add 2 ounces of bourbon, 2 ounces of pomegranate juice, and 1 ounce of syrup to a glass.
- Step 3: Top with finely blended ice (I blended ice in a food processor until it resembled snow) and pack the glass until you can reach a domed top.
- Step 4: Garnish with a rosemary sprig and pomegranate seeds.
Expert Tips:
To get perfect crushed ice at home blend ice in a food processor. A blender makes ice too fine and more like shaved ice/snow, but it comes out perfect in the processor!
To get the iconic julep ice dome, fill the glass with crushed ice then use your hand to squeeze the ice into that shape
To really bring out the flavor in the rosemary garnish, give it a quick slap with your hands before garnishing.
Keep the syrup in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Pomegranate Julep
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 cocktail 1x
- Category: cocktail
- Method: stirred
- Cuisine: american
Description
This pomegranate julep is the perfect holiday cocktail and uses some of the season's best flavors. It's made with bourbon, pomegranate juice, spiced rosemary syrup, and ice blended so finely that it looks like snow.
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 4 rosemary sprigs
- 5 cinnamon sticks
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
For the cocktail:
- 2 ounces bourbon
- 2 ounces pomegranate juice
- 1 ounce spiced rosemary syrup
- 1-2 cups finely crushed ice
Instructions
- Start by making the syrup by mixing 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 4 rosemary sprigs, 5 cinnamon sticks, and ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves. Cook on medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Let cool, then strain.
- Next, add 2 ounces of bourbon, 2 ounces of pomegranate juice, and 1 ounce of syrup to a glass.
- Top with finely blended ice (I blended ice in a food processor until it resembled snow) and pack the glass until you can reach a domed top.
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig and pomegranate seeds.
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