The longest night is behind us now, a foggy morning giving way to sun. Holiday lights glimmer in the afternoon’s glow, my fingers stained red from squeezing pomegranate seeds between my eager fingers.
I have made no preparations for christmas, made no preparations for the new year. I am without hope and brimming with the hope for hope.
So I raise my glass to you.
“Santé”
May some small miracle find you this season, a small light, a quick smile, a reason to raise your glass in cheer.
Inspired by the mad muddle of an Old Fashioned (which gained its fruit component during prohibition when whiskey was iffy) and the bright hues of my favorite winter fruit, this is the perfect cocktail to dress up an inexpensive bottle of bubbly. Much like with a Mimosa or Bellini there is no reason to spend stand alone prices on the bubbles but do try to resist bottom of the barrel, there are too many perfectly palatable bottles of bubbles in the 7-10$ range. There is no reason to stoop to the stuff they serve for bottomless mimosa brunch deals.
While I prefer an extra dry Prosecco for this I’m sure a spanish Cava or something like Trader Joe’s Blanc de Blanc would also work.
As always, John over at kitchenriffs.com gets into more depth about bubbles than I, you can read his suggestions and insights about Mimosa here.
The old fashioned GF experience: fresh grapefruit and pomegranate prosecco cocktail
ingredients
- 6 ounces extra dry prosecco (or other dry sparkling white wine like Cava)
- one slice of grapefruit, skin on, cut into quarters
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils
- 3-6 drops aromatic bitters (I’m sure orange or grapefruit bitters would also work well here)
directions
- in a separate jar or glass muddle together the grapefruit, pomegranate, and bitters. Depending on the thickness of the grapefruit slice, your muddler, your muscle, and your preference this might produce enough liquid for one or two cocktails. Just be sure to muddle enough to get some of the oils from the grapefruit peel in the mix and to juice most of the pomegranate seeds.
- strain about one ounce of the juice into a champagne flute or wine glass and top with bubbly.
- garnish with pomegranate arils if desired

"Old Fashioned GF Experience"
Ingredients
- 6 ounces extra dry prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine like Cava
- one slice of grapefruit skin on, cut into quarters
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh pomegranate arils
- 3-6 drops aromatic bitters I’m sure orange or grapefruit bitters would also work well here
Instructions
- in a separate jar or glass muddle together the grapefruit, pomegranate, and bitters. Depending on the thickness of the grapefruit slice, your muddler, your muscle, and your preference this might produce enough liquid for one or two cocktails. Just be sure to muddle enough to get some of the oils from the grapefruit peel in the mix and to juice most of the pomegranate seeds.
- strain about one ounce of the juice into a champagne flute or wine glass and top with bubbly.
- garnish with pomegranate arils if desired
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