Spiced Pomegranate Ginger Paloma

This cocktail comes from one of my favorite blogs, Half Baked Harvest. Tieghan Gerard is spot on as usual with flavors. The combination of the sweet fro the pomegranate the acid from the lime juice and the spice in the simple syrup and the rim makes this drink so mouthwatering! Her photo is much better than mine and you can see it if you search for this recipe at halfbakedharvest.com.

Spicy Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey

1 inch fresh ginger, sliced

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

8 mint leaves

Bring 1/2 cup water, honey, ginger and cayenne pepper to boil over high heat. Once boiling, simmer for 1-2 minutes and remove from heat. Add the mint leaves and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Strain and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Paloma

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Pomegranate juice

1/2 cup grapefruit juice

Juice from 1/2 lime

2-4 tbsp Spicy Ginger Syrup

2 oz tequila

Ginger beer

Pomegranate seeds

Spice Sweet Rim

(This is optional but adds so much to the cocktail)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp coarse raw sugar

1 tbsp granulated sugar

Pinch of cayenne pepper

To make the cocktail:

On a small plate mix the sugars and the cayenne pepper. Run a lime wedge around the rim of the glass and dip the rim into the sugar until the edges are coated evenly.

Depending upon the size of the glass that you are using to serve you may want to mix this cocktail in another glass and pour it into your rimmed serving glass. If you fill the glass too full the sugar rim will melt into your drink.

Add the juices, the tequila and the simple syrup to a glass with ice. Mix thoroughly. Pour into your rimmed glass, top with ginger beer and garnish with pomegranate seeds.