More

    The Merry Mocktail

    A clear cocktail glass with red liquid, a large ice cube, and a sprig of rosemary.

    We’ve come to our senses: what are the holidays without fun festive beverages?!

    And so here we are with a special last-minute bonus Holiday Series recipe! This pomegranata spritzy mocktail is keeping us well on the merry side of things. Herby, zingy rosemary-infused simple syrup cutting through the sweet tart pomegranate juice, bubbly fizz, fresh lime squeezes if you’re fancy (lime bubbly water if you’re us) and then it’s just holiday magic from there on out.

    There are so many fun things to do to fancy this up if you want to wow them with a Christmas cocktail/mocktail hour or if you just really want to reward yourself after a long day of gift-wrapping because, let’s be real, getting those corners even can be so frustrating and eventually you just give up and wrap the whole thing in scotch tape. Anyway. 

    A clear cocktail glass with red liquid, a large ice cube, and a sprig of rosemary.

    A Four-Ingredient Treat

    Here are the four things you’ll need to make this happen:

    • Rosemary simple syrup (rosemary, sugar, water)
    • Pomegranate juice (cranberry juice works too!)
    • Soda water or lime-flavored bubbly water
    • Lime squeezes (optional)

    Other than that, there’s not a lot to it. Just mix, sip, toast, enjoy.

    Make It Fancy

    If you have those ice molds that make a big ice ball (affiliate link), those are so very fun in here. A sprig of fresh rosemary to garnish, some sugar-dusted cranberries, is this all in a fancy glass? WE HOPE SO. Even if it is in a probably-wrong glass like a stemless wine glass, just, you do you.

    This also would be great with a splash of your favorite spirit if you’re going that way. Gin might be wintry and nice, but vodka would work too. We like to mix it with straight up lime LaCroix or Spindrift to keep things quick, but soda water and fresh lime is clutch. You can also mix it with ginger beer, which is lovely, but on the sweeter end so that might work better with the alcoholic version.

    If you have a day or two, we’d def recommend letting that simple syrup sit in the fridge for a bit so it gets really nice and rosemary-y. It sure is a special treat swimming around in this drink so do yourself that favor. But also still great if you saw this post and you were like “Me. Want. Now.” and you’re already sipping away!

    Cheers, frands!

    Print

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

    A clear cocktail glass with red liquid, a large ice cube, and a sprig of rosemary.

    The Merry Mocktail



    • Author:
      Lindsay

    • Total Time:
      10 minutes

    • Yield:
      recipe is for a 4 cup batch of simple syrup / ratios for a single mocktail

    Description

    Everyone needs a good fancy fun mocktail in their life – especially during the holidays. Herby, zingy rosemary-infused simple syrup, sweet tart pomegranate juice, bubbly fizz, and fresh lime squeezes. Holiday magic!


    Ingredients


    Units


    Scale

    Rosemary Simple Syrup

    • 4 cups water
    • 4 cups sugar
    • (2) .5 oz packages fresh rosemary (basically, a nice big bunch of rosemary)
    • optional: 4-5 whole cloves

    Merry Mocktail

    • 23 ounces rosemary simple syrup
    • 23 ounces pomegranate juice (cranberry juice is a good sub)
    • 23 ounces club soda with a squeeze of fresh lime (OR lime-flavored bubbly water)


    Instructions

    1. Heat the water, sugar, rosemary, and cloves in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a low boil and let everything simmer for 5-10 minutes until the sugar has fully dissolved. Pour through a fine mesh strainer to remove the cloves and rogue rosemary leaves. Transfer to glass jars and store in the fridge for 2 weeks. (I often stick a sprig of rosemary in there so it keeps getting more intense.)
    2. Pour your desired ratios of rosemary syrup, pomegranate juice, and limey bubbly water over an ice ball into a glass. Stir gently, taste and adjust, and enjoy. 

    Notes

    Garnish with a rosemary sprig or some fresh cranberries if you want to be fancy!

    The rosemary sprig in the simple syrup will drop its leaves – I usually just let them settle to the bottom and then pour slowly so I don’t get rosemary leaves in my drink. (A sprig is easy to drink around – but the single little needles / leaves tend to slip into your mouth more easily when you’re drinking which is not super pleasant.)

    We LOVE these ice ball molds (affiliate link) and use them constantly, year-round.

    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Category: Drinks
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American

    Keywords: holiday mocktail, holiday cocktail, Christmas mocktail, Christmas drink, Christmas cocktail




    Recipe Card powered by Tasty Recipes logo

    More Amazing Holiday Drink Recipes

    Related Posts

    Brandon’s Egg Roll Tacos

    Egg rolls meet tacos! I love this! Easy to make and ridiculously good with a classic egg roll filling, crunchy veg, pillowy tortillas, and a spicy gochujang sauce.

    Thai Shrimp Curry with Yummy Shallot Crispies

    This shrimp curry is the curry of my dreams! Incredible flavor, just a few simple ingredients, and easy enough for a weeknight!

    Crispy Buffalo Tofu with Caesar Salad

    This Buffalo Tofu is SO EASY! A two-ingredient sauce tossed with air-fried crispy tofu, laid on top of a kale caesar salad.

    Burger Bowls with House Sauce and Ranch Fries

    A burger in a bowl! Ranch-seasoned fries topped with a burger patty and all the fixings, with a drizzle of house sauce to take it over the top!

    Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

    Restaurant-level pasta, easy enough to be SOS! Caramelized shallots folded into a silky red pepper sauce, and tossed with noodles. Heaven!

    Apricot Chicken with Charred Scallions

    This apricot chicken, made on a sheet pan, is so easy and SO GOOD! Just a few simple ingredients, minimal cleanup, and a major flavor boost from the roasty charred scallions on top.

    Chipotle Chicken with Chunky Pistachio Sauce

    Smoky chipotle chicken grilled to perfection, with a chunky fun sauce featuring pistachios, avocado, lemon, and chives! This is so good!

    Sheet Pan Salmon with Dill Potatoes

    Simple and delicious salmon and potatoes roasted on a sheet pan, and covered in a garlic dill butter sauce! One of my family’s favorite dinners.