New Year’s Eve With a Twist

While we all love a bottle of something bubbly on New Year’s Eve, and I have a #Fabulous bottle of 1985 Dom Perignon chilling in my wine cooler as we speak,  I’m a girl who likes to start the evening’s festivities off with something fun.  #CAGirlsGoneWine

It’s even better when I can make that something fun by the pitcher to share with my like minded girlfriends, so I don’t have to pause during the fun of the evening to play bartender!

The fun of this big batch Cosmopolitan / Martini is that it gets made in the blender (my Vitamix) and strained into a pitcher.  No messy cocktail shaker to deal with and no sticky counter from prying the shaker lid on and off for each individual drink!

Pomegranate Cosmopolitan

• 1 Cup Vodka (I prefer Grey Goose L’Orange)
• 1/2 Cup Orange Liqueur (Grand Marnier / Cointreau / Triple Sec)
• 1/2 Cup Pomegranate Juice
• 2 limes, peel removed in strips and retained.  Fruit cut into quarters, seeds (if any) discarded.
• 1/2 Cup Ice Cubes

Scrape the lengths of lime peel so that no bitter white pith remains.  Slice into 1/2″ wide lengths and wrap around a straw to shape in a curl and put into the refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes.

Put everything, except the lime peels, into the blender (or Vitamix) container, and blend on High (10) for about 30 seconds.

Pour through a fine sieve into chilled martini glasses or into a chilled pitcher to serve later.  Recipe makes 3 large drinks and can easily be doubled to make a pitcher.

Use the lime strips to garnish the glasses and drop a few pomegranate arils, coated in sugar, into the bottom of the glass if desired.

**TIP – To coat the pomegranate arils, in sugar, put a tablespoon or two in a zip bag with a tablespoon of pomegranate juice and a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Close the zipper on the bag and shake vigorously until the arils are well coated. 

**TIP – If you like your martini sweeter, add a tablespoon of simple syrup (a tablespoon of sugar dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water – I make a cup at a time in the microwave to keep on hand).

**TIP – If you like your martini with no evidence of the muddled lime in it, pour it through the sieve again when you pour it from the pitcher to the chilled glass.  #ThisGirlLovesHerCocktails

Adapted from the Vitamix Cookbook