Pomegranate Margarita Cocktail Recipe

Mona Buehler: Hi, I’m Mona Buehler and I’m at Sin City on the east coast. When I’m feeling particularly naughty, there’s nothing like a well-casted margarita. At Gypsy Bar at Borgata in Atlantic City in New Jersey, they really know how to shake things up. So let’s go behind the burner, meet the mixologist and have some fun. I’m here with mixologist, Elizabeth Barassatian. Elizabeth, I hear that Gypsy Bar makes the great margarita that’s also good for my home. Elizabeth Barassatian: Yes we do. It’s the pomegranate margarita, our signature drink. Mona Buehler: Well, let’s get started. Elizabeth Barassatian: Okay. A few key ingredients here are Grand Marnier, Reposado tequila which gives you that oak flavor which works great with the pomegranate, pomegranate juice and fresh sour mix. Let’s try to use fresh lime juice and fresh sugar for the sour mix that gives you a nicer flavor. Mona Buehler: And you make that yourself so you can make it as sweet or as tart as you want? Elizabeth Barassatian: Correct and you can even just blend in instead of sugar if you’re looking at you to cut a few calories. Mona Buehler: Good tip. So Elizabeth, I noticed that you have only salt in half of the rim. How come? Elizabeth Barassatian: Sometimes, you’ll forget to specify what do they do or don’t want salt so it’s just a little salt to add a nice flavor to the drink. A little trick here is when you salt your rim. You want to try to keep the salt on the outside of the glass. Otherwise all the salt goes inside and when you pour your drink in, your first sip of the straw is almost always salt. When you make your margarita, you’re going to use half of the Grand Marnier to one of the Tequila. So, you can pour them together. Stop with the Grand Ma on top of the tequila, half sour mix, half fresh pomegranate juice. Mona Buehler: And pomegranates are antioxidant, rich and good for the heart. Elizabeth Barassatian: Yes, very good for the heart. Mona Buehler: So, if you don’t want to have a glass of wine, you can have margarita and it is going to do your heart good. Elizabeth Barassatian: It sure can. We want to get a few good shakes. Pour it in the glass, varnish with a lime and you’re all set. Mona Buehler: So, I’m going to try now. Elizabeth Barassatian: I think we’re ready for a taste test. Mona Buehler: Let’s do it. That’s delicious. I taste the pomegranate, a little saltiness, earthiness to the tequila, a little sweetness to the Grand Marnier. Well, thanks so much. Elizabeth Barassatian: A pleasure. Cheers. Mona Buehler: Cheers. Stay tune to “Behind the Burner” for we give you the tips, tricks, and techniques, better lighting the culinary world on fire. For the recipe, Q&A, photos, and more, visit BehindTheBurner.com.