Pomegranate Lime Sour Mocktail Recipe

Why You'll Love It

• It's easy to make, and you can easily make it without a cocktail shaker.
• It can be made year-round because it calls for store-bought pomegranate juice. The red and green colors make it great for Christmas, yet the fresh lime is a perfect ingredient to embrace in the summer.
• The unique foam topping will likely be a delightful novelty for your guests, making it a fun conversation starter.

Pomegranate Lime Sour Mocktail is Good for a smaller group because...

... one egg white makes four drinks. And while you could technically split an egg white or use a whole egg white to make just a single serving, I've tried it, and it doesn't turn out well. It creates a LOT of foam. So, one egg white yields just the right amount of foam to make four drinks.

This is also ideal for a smaller group because it requires being shaken. Shaking develops the unique foam that floats on top. And then shaking it with ice chills and dilutes the drink just enough to make it perfect for sipping.

Pro tip: When hosting smaller groups, you can splurge a little more than you would if you were cooking for a crowd. I mention this because you can serve this mocktail alongside a decadent charcuterie board laden with cheeses and cured meats. If you want to learn how to perfectly peel a pomegranate, you can check out my YouTube video: How to peel a pomegranate for a cheese plate or charcuterie board. It's about a 10-minute clip because I peel an entire pomegranate in the video.

Some fun background information about "Sours"

"Sours", or any drink that has foam but no carbonation, are super fun to serve to people new to drinking mocktails.

Why?

Because creating a foam on a drink without using carbonation is likely a new concept to you and/or your guests.

The foam comes from an egg white, or get this - liquid from a can of chickpeas! The protein of an eggwhite or the starch from chickpea liquid froths up when shaken to make the foam in these drinks types of drinks. It's a technique that's been around for over 100 years (and realistically, way longer), but many people new to mocktails will likely have never heard about it or tried it.

Because this drink needs to be shaken, this particular recipe is written to make four servings, and as such, it's best suited for a more intimate dinner party or gathering.

Ingredients

• Pomegranate juice - Without question, I use and actively recommend POM Wonderful. It's consistent in flavor and quality and is vastly superior to any other version of pomegranate juice I've tried. Costco has its own store brand, and I highly recommend you DON'T use it. (Update 1/2025: Costco no longer carries their abominable version of a pomegranate juice and went back to POM Wonderful.)
• Lime Juice - This really should be freshly squeezed lime juice. Plus, you'll need a fresh lime for the garnishes, so just grab some extras while you're getting one for garnishes. Related: How to Pick the Best Limes
• Simple Syrup - This should be a pantry staple. It can be store-bought or homemade. If you don't use any type of sweetener in this, it will be almost unpalatably tart and astringent.
• Fresh Mint - This is used mostly as a garnish, so it should be fresh and bright.
• Egg white or canned chickpea liquid - You need one or the other, not both. Make sure to wash your egg before cracking it, especially if you're using a farm-fresh egg. If you're using chickpea liquid, I recommend straining it into a separate container before guests arrive.
• NOTE: Sometimes canned chickpea liquid is called aquafaba, which, in fairness, sounds much better than "chickpea bean juice."

See the recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

In short, shake everything but the ice and egg white. Then add the ice and egg white and shake again. Strain, garnish, and serve.
Why is this shaken twice? Because the first shake starts to develop the foam and thoroughly incorporate the ingredients. This first shake is considered a "dry shake", which means the ingredients are shaken without ice. The second shake happens with ice, and its purpose is to rapidly chill and slightly dilute the drink. In this case, it also "strengthens" the foam. Finally, the drink is strained into glasses and served.

Hint: Do NOT use pebble ice for the second shake. It will cause the drink to turn into almost a whipped cream consistency and be nothing but foam. How would I know? Because I tried it. Once. And I had to wait over 30 minutes for the drink to separate enough to actually drink it.

Additions / Substitutions

• Additions -You can add a whole cinnamon stick if you want to add a little extra spice flavor, especially if you're serving this around the holidays. Just make sure it's a whole stick and that you strain it well so that no spice particles end up in the drinks.
• Substitutions - As mentioned previously, you can swap the egg white for chickpea liquid. If you want a vegan version of this drink, use the canned chickpea liquid.

Advance Preparation

I recommend separating the egg white or reserving the chickpea liquid in a separate container before your guests arrive.

This will help you look prepared and confident when you make this in front of your guests.

Equipment

While a large cocktail shaker can be helpful, you absolutely do not need one. You can use a large mason jar just fine. If you use a mason jar, just make sure it seals tight. When it comes time to strain it, just offset the lid slightly to hold the ice back while you're pouring the drink into glasses. Food52 has a very good explanation of the mason jar shake and strain hack. Check out steps 2 and 3 in their article.