Pomegranate Martini...Avesta Style

Avesta's Pomegranate Martini

When I owned my restaurant Avesta Eclectic Cuisine we were known for our martini bar with about 40 different martinis on our list. We had a lot of fun coming up with our martini recipes and of course we had to have a signature martini so right away I knew it had to be the Pomegranate Martini. I had grown up eating pomegranates and drinking pomegranate juice so I thought it would be perfect to mix with vodka.

Back when we opened our restaurant pomegranates were yet to be as popular as they are today but once we came up with our recipe we knew we had come up with a winner. And boy were we right....my bartenders couldn't keep up with the demand....we were premixing the pomegranate mix by the gallon. It's been two years since I closed my restaurant and I still get people emailing me about those martinis....and since POM Wonderful was so kind in sending me some samples....here's a version of my Pomegranate Martini....enjoy when of these after the kids have gone to bed and you're wanting to feel really good!

Pomegranate Martini...Avesta Style

Martini Shaker filled with ice

2 oz Premium Vodka (my favs are Absolut, Grey Goose or Belvedere)

1 oz Pomegranate Liquor or Triple Sec

2 oz POM Wonderful juice

1/2 cap full of Pomegranate concentrate (you can get this from Middle Eastern stores but if you can't find it just use 1 oz more of POM)

Champagne or Spumanti to top off the martini

Fresh lime wedges

Fill martini glass with ice and top with soda or tap water to chill the glass. Meanwhile pour all ingredients in the shaker and shake really well....pour out the ice and water out of the martini glass and then pour contents of shaker into the chilled glass. Top with champagne or spumanti, garnish with lime and sit back and enjoy!



One of my best friends Jeni got me this glass....it's one of my rules that everyone must own some pretty martini glasses...it really does make the drink taste better! And I never have all matching glasses...that way your guests can pick what they like and then they'll know which glass is theirs all night.
Always have these ingredients on hand to be the best host...believe me your guests will be impressed with this martini!
The blood red color of the martini is so beautiful and if you don't like champagne or don't have any on hand you can serve it just like this or add a little 7 up or Sprite to the top for a little fizz.

But if you've never had a martini topped with champagne then you have not lived. And you don't have to buy expensive champagne to get the effect...even cheap sparkling wine or spumante will do the job. This just adds that extra special touch to make you feel like a queen....I am a champagne whore and could add it to any drink....try it and you will understand.