Spiced Pomegranate Mocktail Recipe

Ingredients

For the Syrup

• 1 navel orange, trimmed
• 4 teaspoons green cardamom pods (about 30 pods)
• 1/3 cup (4 ounces) honey
• 3 tablespoons water
• Pinch kosher salt

For the Mocktails

• Ice
• 3/4 cup pomegranate juice (such as Pom)
• 1 (12-ounce) can club soda (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Use a vegetable peeler to remove 1 long strip of orange zest, avoiding the white pith. Add the zest strip to a small saucepan. Slice 2 wheels from the orange and halve each wheel for garnish. Juice the remaining orange until you have 3 tablespoons of juice and add it to the saucepan with the zest.
2. Lightly crush the cardamom pods using a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mortar and pestle, or back of a chef’s knife. Add the crushed pods to the saucepan along with honey, water, and a pinch of kosher salt.
3. Set the saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir occasionally and cook until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature and steep for 30 minutes so the flavors intensify and the syrup thickens further.
5. Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing the cardamom pods and zest with the back of a spoon to extract maximum flavor. Discard solids. You should have about 1/2 cup of syrup.
6. Fill 4 rocks glasses with ice. Divide the honey-cardamom syrup evenly (about 2 tablespoons per glass). Add 3 tablespoons of pomegranate juice to each glass. Top each with about 1/4 cup of club soda. Stir well to combine. Garnish with an orange slice and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds if desired.

Notes

• To prepare ahead, combine all the syrup with 3/4 cup pomegranate juice in an airtight container and refrigerate for 7 to 10 days. When ready to serve, add 1/4 cup of the mixture to a glass with ice, top with club soda, and garnish.
• Use fresh pomegranate seeds for added texture and visual appeal.
• Adjust sweetness by adding more honey syrup or pomegranate juice according to taste.
• For a vegan option, substitute honey with maple syrup or agave nectar.