Cranberry Green Tea Mocktail
When we were teenagers, we imagined adulthood as drinking coffee every day until 4:00 p.m., then switching to wine. We thought: What caffeinated/tipsy fun it’ll be to grow up!
As adults, we know that too much coffee keeps us awake at night and alcohol is a delightful treat — but it isn’t a requirement for a sophisticated evening. In fact, a lot of the beauty in an evening beverage is in the flavors, whether it contains the strong stuff or not.
In that spirit, we dreamed up a cranberry-forward mocktail, full of tart flavor and earthy green tea. It’s a dry drink, which is exceptionally hard to achieve in a mocktail, while still being bright and refreshing. The concentrated pomegranate juice and cranberry juice pack a punch and play well together with the tea.
Flavor isn’t this cocktail’s only selling point. With antioxidant-rich green tea, pomegranates and cranberries, this drink is exceptionally healthy to boot.
It’s a great drink for a special occasion — or an ideal candidate for making a big batch and keeping in the fridge for a week. Whatever you choose, your taste buds are in for a treat.
4 servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
1 quart water
4 bags green tea
1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
½ cup Pom Wonderful Pomegranate Juice
4 teaspoons honey
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 mint leaves
8 ounces club soda
Fresh cranberries, sliced
Directions
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 quart water with 4 bags green tea and bring to a rapid simmer. After 10 minutes, remove the tea bags, then continue simmering until the tea is reduced to 1 cup. Set aside to cool.
- In a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice, combine 2 ounces green tea reduction, 2 ounces cranberry juice, 1 ounce pomegranate juice, 1 teaspoon honey and 3 mint leaves. Shake for 15 seconds and double strain over ice.
- Top with 2 ounces of club soda. Garnish with fresh cranberries and a sprig of mint on a skewer.
