Happy Hour: Pomegranate Liqueur
by Diana Vilibert
Remember when pomegranate juice was all the rage? I never quite got on that bandwagon, for the same reason I’m not big on coconut water — I just don’t see the point of paying cocktail prices for something that’s not spiked.
Do you see where this is going?
Enter PAMA. The lovely people behind the pomegranate-based liqueur sent me some for a taste-test, and when I first gave it a try — over ice, in my kitchen at 1 p.m. on a weekday afternoon — I actually made a noise so enthusiastic you would have thought I was faking an orgasm. Not that I’ve ever done that.
Anyway, PAMA! My fear when trying any fruit-flavored liqueur for the first time is that it’ll be syrupy sweet in an attempt to taste fruity, but the pomegranate flavors here are bold, and maintain a great sweet-tart balance. It’s good by itself or in a simple mix (like one part PAMA, one part Champagne), but since its base spirits are vodka with a touch of tequila, it’s really versatile enough to add a kick to almost anything — as mentioned briefly last week — whether you’re adding some fruitiness or swapping it in for another ingredient. I also had a great idea to just replace all of my recommended fruit servings with PAMA. Take that, scurvy!
Here are a few ideas to start with. Give them a try so at the next Hairpin meetup you can tell me how I’ve changed your life.
Make a modified Negroni:
1 oz PAMA (this replaces Campari, but if you’re ready to ease into the bitters, try a mix of half an ounce of PAMA and half an ounce of Campari instead)
1 oz gin
1 oz sweet vermouth
Directions: Fill the glass with ice, add ingredients and stir. Strain into a chilled glass.
Add tequila:
3/4 oz PAMA
1 oz Blanco Tequila
3/4 oz lemon juice
Ginger beer
Directions: Combine all ingredients except ginger beer in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain over fresh ice into Collins glass and top with ginger beer.
Add it to an iced tea lemonade:
1 oz PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
3 oz iced tea
3 oz lemonade
Dash peach bitters
Directions: Combine all ingredients in mason jar, and fill jar with ice.
Make it a dessert:
1 oz PAMA
1 oz vodka
1 oz white chocolate liqueur
.5 oz simple syrup
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously. Strain into chilled glass and garnish by floating pomegranate seeds on top.
Pass me a mint:
1 oz PAMA
1 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 oz. simple syrup
1 tsp. granulated sugar
4 fresh mint leaves
Directions: Muddle the mint leaves, sugar, and simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add ice, bourbon, and PAMA. Stir for 30 seconds and strain into chilled glass. Fill glass with crushed ice and garnish.
Previously: Celebrating National Margarita Day.
Diana Vilibert is a writer living in Brooklyn.