I left the cocktail to last but I actually served it first. What better way than to start the evening than a nice cocktail. It sets the mood and the tone of the evening, plus it was a good way to introducing the special guest of the evening: pomegranate.

I know this cocktail isn’t much of a looker, but anything she lacks in style she makes up for in personality, sense of humour and character. Her redeeming qualities are so endearing that I think this is my new favourite cocktail and my dear friend Delilah is a wallflower once more.

If you wanted to pretty this up, I would recommend serving in an opaque vessel over crushed ice topped with a sprig of mint and a sprinkle of arils.

Pomegranate Smash
serves 1, 10 minutes preparation

1 ounce of vodka (30mls)
½ ounce of Cointreau (15mls)
½ ounce of pomegranate molasses (make sure it is based on real pomegranates)
Crushed ice
Extra pomegranate molasses and some sugar for the rim
2tsp of pomegranate arils

Dip the rim of the glass lightly in pomegranate molasses and then in sugar to get a rim of pomegranate and sugar crystals (like salt for a Margarita).

Place the pomegranate arils at the bottom of the glass.

Shake the vodka, Cointreau and half ounce of pomegranate molasses with ice to chill, then strain the ice and pour into your glass.