Pomegranate Punch

Make your party less boring with Pomegranate Punch using prosecco for the bubbly factor! Recipe for a non alcoholic punch also included.

My last recipe of the year!

It’s hard to believe I squeezed out another year’s worth of content, but thankfully there are endless recipe ideas with more to come in the future.

What better way to end the year than with a sparkling cocktail like this Pomegranate Punch? Especially since my New Year’s Eve is always so boring.

I stay overnight at my parents, eat bacon cheese ball, and drink sparkling grape juice.

On the plus side, Dad makes me a plate full of crackers with cheese ball and slices of beef stick on top.

I have gone out a few times – one to a friend’s house, which was pretty lame and uneventful, and another to a piano bar, which *was* fun but also pricey.

Plus I’m always the one who gets stuck driving, so I can’t even drink champagne at midnight.

One year I almost had cool plans, but then they changed at the last minute to something less fun, so I passed.

Want to know how to make your New Year’s Eve less boring? Make this Sparkling Pomegranate Punch recipe to count down the clock until midnight!

Don’t worry if you’re not doing a big celebration as this NYE punch only makes 4 drinks (hey if you’re sharing with someone else, you want to make sure there’s enough for a second glass!).

It has prosecco for the bubbly factor, which is more affordable than champagne (you can certainly use champagne, but for someone with big adult expenses, prosecco it is).

You can also make this non alcoholic pomegranate punch if you’re driving but don’t want to miss out on drinks at midnight.

In addition to New Year’s Eve, you can also make Pomegranate Punch to kick off your Thanksgiving Dinner For Two or Christmas Dinner For Two.

Either way, make it to serve with your Charcuterie Board For Two as you watch the ball drop on tv.

Ingredients For Pomegranate Punch

To make your sparkling pomegranate punch, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Sugar: Used to sweeten the punch
• Water: Used to make the sugar syrup so the sugar will dissolve easily
• Pomegranate juice: Bottled, often found in the refrigerated produce section.
• Orange juice: Although freshly squeezed oranges are preferred, you can certainly use bottled juice to make life easier.
• Prosecco: The bubbly factor for your punch.

What’s nice about this pomegranate punch recipe is its versatility.

You can use prosecco, champagne, or sparkling wine for the cocktail. I personally used prosecco because it’s not as sweet.

Because some sparkling wines are sweeter than others, you may need to adjust the sugar level. You may also need to adjust the sugar based on the type of orange juice you use.

For example if you use freshly squeezed oranges, it’ll taste less sweet than bottled orange juice.

How To Make Pomegranate Punch Non Alcoholic

For non alcoholic punch, substitute sparkling water or lemon-lime pop. If you do use the pop, you may not need to add sugar at all.

How To Make Pomegranate Punch

To make your NYE punch, first make your sugar syrup. This makes it easier to dissolve the sugar so your punch isn’t gritty.

Whisk together the sugar and water in a saucepan then bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar dissolves then cool 15 minutes before using.

In a large pitcher, whisk together the syrup, pomegranate juice, and orange juice. Right before serving add the Prosecco then serve over ice cubes garnished with pomegranate aril and orange wedges.

How To Garnish Pomegranate Punch

Like my orange twist garnish? I learned how to make a citrus twist from Tori Avey’s site.

You can also garnish with orange wedges since the twists lose their bounce after a bit.

What To Serve With Pomegranate Punch

Now that you have your NYE punch in hand, time for snacks! Make the following recipes to serve with your cocktail:

• Jalapeno Popper Cheese Ball Bites
• Goat Cheese Balls
• Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball
• Pesto Dip
• Ranch Spinach Dip

First published December 22, 2016