3-Ingredient Cherry Pomegranate Martini Recipe

Fruit-flavored martinis, or "fruitinis," are a refreshing and flavorful twist on a classic. The ingredients may have little in common with the original martini, but drinkers who prefer less spirit-forward cocktails might find them to be a much tastier alternative. Recipe developer Jessica Morone's easy and elegant version is a pretty and perfectly balanced combination of tart-sweet pomegranate cherry juice and vodka. It's a sort of sophisticated twist on a classic cosmo, replacing cranberry juice with the mysteriously fragrant flavor of pomegranate. As she tells us, "I do love fruit martinis, and this one is great because it is so simple, requiring only 3 ingredients."

Morone explains how she came up with the flavor combo, telling us, "Pomegranate is good by itself, but it's a bit tart on its own so the sweetness of the cherry juice really balances it out." The lemon juice adds a tiny bit of tartness that really takes things over the top, while the maraschino cherry garnish makes a sweet little lagniappe. The result is a bright rosy tangy-sweet drink that makes for a perfect year-round refresher.

As per the title, you really only need three ingredients to make this drink. Vodka is the alcohol of choice, while the mixers are pomegranate-cherry juice and lemon juice. If you want a garnish, maraschino cherries would be perfect.

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.

Add vodka, pomegranate-cherry juice, and lemon juice.

Shake well until chilled.

Strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with a maraschino cherry if desired.

You can find excellent pomegranate cherry juice in most stores, but if you want to take this recipe to the next level, you have several options for making it yourself. The first method for juicing pomegranate seeds involves a large culinary syringe. Just fill the syringe with pomegranate seeds and you can squeeze the juice right into your cocktail shaker. Another method to make homemade pomegrante juice is to add the arils to a blender. Once the mixture is processed, just strain out the pulp. Another simple option that doesn't involve peeling the fruit, is to break the pomegranate into quarters and add them 1 at a time to a citrus squeezer. If you want to deepen the flavor you can add a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, which has a tangier, more intense pomegranate flavor.

For the cherries, you can quickly pit ripe cherries by smashing them with the side of a large knife and then removing the pits. Then add them to a juicer or blender and strain the juice into your shaker. You could also use the syrup from a jar of cherries, adding only a small amount to adjust to the sweetness. Maraschino cherry juice would add its signature bright pink tint and sugary flavor. The syrup of Amarena cherries would have a deeper color and more natural flavor though it's also very sweet and would need to be added in increments.

One way to customize the drink would be by using a different kind of liquor. While fruitinis are typically made with vodka instead of gin, there's no reason you couldn't make the substitution, or even combine vodka and gin like in James Bond's favorite Vesper martini. You could also substitute light rum, as this liquor plays very well with fruit juices, although that might nudge your fruitini more towards daiquiri territory. Another option is to stick with vodka, but use a flavored kind — either cherry or pomegranate vodka would be perfect, while a citrus or berry-flavored vodka would add some complementary flavor.

You could also switch up the juices, using pomegranate-blueberry, cherry-cranberry, or any other blend that appeals to you. Finally, the presentation of the drink is something that can be tinkered with, as well. Serve the drink with a twist of lemon or orange instead of a cherry, or add some fresh pomegranate arils, which will likely sink to the bottom and make a welcome treat once you've finished the drink. You could also freeze cherries and pomegranate seeds in ice cubes to garnish the drink with a frosty pop of color and sweetness.