This sparkling Meyer lemon mocktail is a refreshing twist on lemonade prepared as a gentle sunrise drink. It’s mildly sweet from simple syrup in both the lemonade and the grenadine. Garnish with pomegranate seeds for a festive pop of red to echo the rosy pink on the bottom.
A celebration for me!
This is my 100th recipe post! I thought that publishing that many would take me a year to accomplish, but my blog-i-versary is not until January. It's great to hit a goal early! I certainly appreciate subscribers and fellow bloggers who've encouraged me.
I thought I’d celebrate with a bit of bubbly. Woo-hoo! But this being a family blog, I went with a mocktail.
You could serve the mocktail as a holiday drink but it's easy enough to make for any time. Sparkling water like Pellegrino adds the sparkle and pomegranate arils the color. I often garnish with a few mint leaves for a refreshing touch of green, too.
A lemon-pomegranate mocktail in November?
Yes, and there are two great reasons.
One is that Meyer lemons are in season, fresh, juicy and abundant. They ripen in winter through early Spring. They were even for sale at Costco recently, in large bags of course!
And at the same time, pomegranates have appeared! And you know that grenadine is made from pomegranates, right? I only learned recently that the part of the pomegranate that we get the juice from is called the aril. The aril is the name for the red, juicy coating around the seed.
What is a Meyer lemon?
A quick Wikipedia search tells us that the Meyer lemon is a hybrid citrus fruit native to China. It is a cross between a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid.
Meyer lemons are sweeter than “regular” lemons. They are thin-skinned, so easy to juice by hand. Their skin is also slightly golden.
Easy recipe steps
First, since nature has given us lemons, we make lemonade. Not too sweet, as the grenadine will add some sweetness. But enough so that the melting ice doesn’t make the drink too weak.
Then, once the lemonade has chilled, pour it into your glass. Pour in a tablespoonful of grenadine, which will sink to the bottom, since it is denser than the lemonade. Float ice on top. Sprinkle on some fresh pomegranate seeds (oops, arils!) and serve the extras on the side. Easy breezy.
What sweeteners can I use for Meyer lemonade?
I chose cane sugar so that the subtle colors of the lemon juice and grenadine would shine through. Although cane sugar is considered a refined sugar, we use relatively little, and sometimes even less than given here, so don't feel too guilty.
Agave syrup would be a good choice, though I experience a slight aftertaste with it, as I do with corn syrup. If you love agave, it lets you skip the step of making the simple syrup. If you love maple syrup and don't mind your drink having a slight gold/brownish tone, use that.
Whichever sweetener you choose, stir it into the room-temperature lemon juice, then chill the mixture before adding your cold sparkling water.
Sip happily!
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If you make this recipe, please let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below.
Beth
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Sparkling Meyer Lemon Mocktail
Ingredients
For the lemonade:
- ¼ cup simple syrup ¼ cup of each of white cane sugar and water, warmed until sugar dissolves
- ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice about 1-2 large Meyer lemons
- 3 ½ cups sparkling water one 750 mL bottle unflavored Pellegrino or your favorite
For the sparkling mocktail, per glass:
- 1 to 1 ½ cups of sparkling Meyer lemonade depending on the size of your glasses (fill to about 1 inch from the rim)
- 1-2 tablespoons grenadine
- 5 small ice cubes
- 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds
Instructions
For the lemonade
- 1. To make the "simple syrup", place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Stir so that the sugar dissolves completely, about 5 minutes, and remove from heat.
- 2. While the simple syrup is heating, juice the lemons. Depending on the size of the lemons, 1 to 3 of them should be enough for ¼ cup of juice.
- 3. Pour the juice and the simple syrup into a serving pitcher. Allow to chill before adding the Pellegrino. This will keep the Pellegrino from losing as much fizz when it's poured into the lemon/simple syrup mixture.
- 4. Pour the Pellegrino into the lemon juice/simple syrup mixture and taste. Remember that the grenadine will sweeten it a bit, and when you add ice, it will melt and naturally dilute the lemonade. This mixture is to our taste. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.
- 4 Chill: Refrigerate 15-20 minutes.
For the mocktail
- Pour the cold lemonade into the glass.
- Pour the grenadine into each glass - it will sink to the bottom.
- Add the ice cubes carefully so as not to stir up the grenadine layer from the bottom.
- Sprinkle pomegranate seeds on top of the ice cubes (some will sink). Enjoy!
Notes
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Angela
This looks wonderful for so many parties and making any meal fancy. I just love the combination of lemon and the pop of pomegranate seeds.
Beth
Angela, yes I like how colorful and versatile it is, too. It's great to offer a beverage that anyone can enjoy!
Jazzy's Mama
Wow congrats on publishing your 100th recipe!! This drink looks tasty, I like the addition of the pomegranate seeds.
Beth
Thanks so much for noticing it's my 100th recipe. It feels like such a milestone! And the recipe is so easy and not too sweet for little ones.
Erika
This looks so refreshing and delicious. I love the sparkling drinks!
Beth
Erika, I love sparkling drinks too, and this is our favorite whenever we can get fresh pomegranates!
Lisa Ho
Yay!!! Congratulations 🙂
Your mocktail looks inviting, timely for year end festivities.
Yeah we could do with lots of ice here, for our year end could be scorching hot 🙁
Beth
Lisa, thank you, yes it's my party drink for sure. I can only hope you will have some cooler days as you get into your summer.
Yasmin
Can’t wait to try this out at my next dinner party. Sounds so yummy!
Beth
Yasmin, it would be so perfect with all your wonderful baked things, since it's not too sweet!
Jacqueline Debono
Congratulations on publishing your 100th recipe! This mocktail looks and sounds so refreshing! I love that you added pomegranate seeds!
Beth
Jacqui, Wow, I'm so impressed that you picked up that detail about my 100th recipe! It is a great mocktail. By the way, back in the day in California I took a Mediterranean cooking class from an Italian couple who made their own grenadine which we used in a baklava - now that was a privilege to taste.
Simone
This looks so festive & delicious... just perfect for Christmas!
Beth
Thank you, Simone - it is both of those things, plus being easy -- just my style.
Nart | Cooking with Nart
Congratulations, Beth! These look so lovely. We grow lemons at home and get them all year round. I love using them to make drinks and I'll definitely try this recipe!
Beth
Oh, Nart, I would so love to grow my own lemons - not in Colorado I'm afraid, though at our Hawaii house we have a lovely mango tree and passion fruit! I know you'll enjoy this mocktail.
Lathiya
This is one absolute gorgeous drink I saw today. I love drinks with lemon and this one is a sure winner.
Beth
Lathiya, everyone loves the color, so the fact that it's really just one step beyond lemonade means I can make it often. I love lemony drinks too!