I had been given a bottle of pomegranate molasses for my birthday some time ago (years ago in fact!) and am embarrassed to admit that as time passed it was nudged further and further backwards on its shelf in my fridge, at last joining the ranks of the jars whose contents had been long since forgotten. There it would have remained had I not found myself at a wee bar one evening with some good friends sipping on pomegranate cocktails. Prior to this I had not even ventured to open my bottle of pomegranate molasses so when it finally crossed my lips in all it’s cocktail-y glory I was overwhelmed by it’s beautiful sweet/sour flavour and its dark, caramel colour and texture.
My memory of that night is a little too hazy to recall exactly what else went into our cocktails so instead I have created my own version using gin as a base. Unlike the one in the bar, this version is blended with ice which yields a hugely refreshing cocktail, dangerously easy to drink! If this doesn’t appeal however you could of course simply serve it as is with a few cubes of ice and a sprig of mint.
Pomegranate is certainly an ingredient full of potential not just in recipes alcoholic in nature, but also in salad dressings, baking, mains and desserts. Start off simply to get a feel for its flavour and then get creative. If you do, let us know what culinary creations emerge from your kitchen!
