Citric Acid Free Honey Pomegranate Sparkling Cooler
Fresh pomegranate juice pressed right from the fruit is the star here — naturally sweet, deeply ruby-red, and completely free from the citric acid that sneaks into so many store-bought juices and flavored drinks. That matters more than you might think, because bottled pomegranate beverages almost always contain added citric acid as a preservative or flavor enhancer, making a homemade version like this one genuinely hard to find. A quick honey-mint syrup brings gentle sweetness and a cool herbal note without any acidic additives, just honey, water, and fresh mint steeped together until fragrant. The whole thing comes together in minutes and finishes with chilled sparkling water poured slowly down the side of the glass so every sip stays perfectly effervescent. It looks stunning with a scatter of pomegranate arils and a sprig of mint on top, the kind of drink that feels special enough for a dinner party but easy enough for a Tuesday afternoon. If you've been missing a fizzy, refreshing beverage that doesn't come with a long ingredient label to scrutinize, this cooler is exactly what you've been looking for.
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Learn more →Ingredients
2 servings
For the honey syrup
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup water
- 2 sprigs fresh mint
For the cooler
- 1 cup fresh pomegranate juice (from 1 large pomegranate, seeds pressed)
- 1 ½ cups sparkling water, chilled
- 1 cup ice cubes
For serving
- 2 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish (optional)
- 2 tbsp pomegranate arils, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the honey fully dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the 2 mint sprigs, remove from heat, and let steep for 10 minutes until fragrant. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the mint. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes.
- 2
To juice the pomegranate, cut it in half and press each half firmly on a citrus juicer, or press the arils through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, until you have 1 cup of juice. Discard the solids.
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