Description
A refreshing and aromatic non-alcoholic Spiced Pomegranate Fizz Mocktail made with a honey-cardamom syrup, fresh pomegranate juice, and club soda. Perfect for any occasion, this mocktail combines citrus, warm spices, and bubbly soda for a flavorful and festive drink.
Ingredients
Scale
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)
- ¼ cup fresh pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional)
- Orange wheels from the navel orange for garnish
Instructions
- Prep the orange: Use a vegetable peeler to remove 1 long strip of orange zest, leaving behind as much of the white pith as possible. Add the strip to a small saucepan and set aside. Slice 2 wheels from the orange and slice each in half down the middle. Reserve for garnish. Juice the remainder of the orange until you have 3 tablespoons of juice and add to the pan with the zest.
- Add the seasonings: Lightly crush the cardamom pods using a heavy-bottomed saucepan, mortar and pestle, or the back of a chef’s knife. Add the crushed pods to the saucepan, along with the honey, water, and a pinch of kosher salt.
- Thicken and heat the syrup: Set the saucepan over medium heat and stir to combine all ingredients. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Steep the syrup: Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature and let it steep for 30 minutes. During this time, the syrup will thicken more and the flavors will intensify.
- Strain the syrup: Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing the pods and zest with the back of a spoon to extract maximum flavor. Discard the solids. You’ll have about 1/2 cup of syrup.
- Make the mocktails: Fill 4 rocks glasses with ice. Divide the honey-cardamom syrup evenly between the glasses (about 2 tablespoons per glass). Add 3 tablespoons of pomegranate juice to each glass and top with club soda (about 1/4 cup per glass). Stir thoroughly to combine. Garnish each glass with an orange slice and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds, if using.
Notes
- If making a batch of 4 mocktails to drink later, combine all of the syrup (about ½ cup) with 3/4 cup pomegranate juice in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 7 to 10 days. When serving, add ¼ cup of the mixture to each glass with ice, top with club soda, and garnish.
- Use fresh pomegranate juice for the best flavor, but bottled can be used as an alternative.
- Adjust the honey amount in the syrup to taste if you prefer it sweeter or less sweet.
- Make sure to lightly crush the cardamom pods to release their flavor without overpowering the syrup.
- For a sparkling touch, use chilled club soda.
