Skip the expensive store-bought bottles! This homemade pomegranate liqueur recipe combines fresh pomegranate with vodka for a vibrant ruby-red liqueur that’s perfect for seasonal cocktails. With just 3 simple ingredients (and a little patience), you’ll create a naturally flavored liqueur that rivals anything from the liquor store, at a fraction of the price.
When you’ve been developing cocktail recipes for years and years, you tend to collect a lot of obscure liqueurs. While some are definite winners, others can be a let down flavor-wise. Not to mention, it’s expensive. And then you’ve got the whole storage thing to deal with— I’d be lying if I told you the odd bottle didn’t go missing in the back of a cabinet or two. 😬
Luckily, making your own liqueurs is a fun and easy way to create unique and flavorful cocktails at home! And as a bonus, they are super giftable, too! I first started making liqueurs with my homemade limoncello recipe, and since then I’ve created quite a few seasonal sips! They do take a bit of time on the front end, but the process is super straightforward and easy!
Homemade liqueurs are awesome for adding a bit of seasonal flavor to classic cocktails like rum daiquiris and iconic spritzes. They also make excellent gifts, too! Not to mention, once you get started making liqueurs, it’s a super fun way to flex your creativity and add a bit of excitement to just about any drink!
why this pomegranate liqueur recipe works:
♥️ pure pomegranate flavor. This recipe uses a double dose of pomegranate flavor, with infused fruit AND a homemade grenadine
🙌 simple process. Making your own liqueurs is an easy process, it just takes some time to infuse the flavors.
🍹 cocktail ready. Whether you choose to enjoy your liqueurs on the rocks or as part of a seasonal drink, you’ll be ready to showcase seasonal flavors that just can’t be bottled on the shelfs of a liquor store!
🛒 ingredients
See the recipe card for the exact quantities.
🍳 step-by-step process for making pomegranate liqueur
1: Remove arils from pomegranates, carefully picking out any discolored ones.
2: Place arils in a large glass jar.
3: Pour vodka over the pomegranate.
4: Seal tightly and store in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks, shaking every few days.
5: Make and add the pomegranate simple syrup.
6: Strain the infusion through a fine-mesh strainer, then filter again through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
7: Squeeze out as much juice as you can.
8: Transfer to clean glass bottles and seal tightly.
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💡tips & tricks for getting it right
🍽️ ideas for using pomegranate liqueur
- on the rocks – liqueurs can be served simply chilled or poured over ice for a nice after dinner drink or liquid dessert. You can also shake it with cream and add soda water for a fun and simple fizzy cocktail!
- pomegranate spritz – made in a similar fashion to classic Italian spritzes, you can add an ounce of this liqueur to prosecco and top with some soda water! You can also add an ounce to a grenadine soda or just plain old soda water for a pomegranate spritzer!
- seasonal swap in cocktails – swap this liqueur for any other in seasonal cocktails, like a whiskey bramble or as a boost of flavor in this pomegranate margarita.
- sweet treats – use this liqueur as a glaze for fruit or to keep cakes moist! It’s perfect for drizzling over shaved ice or in ice cream or sorbet recipes, too!
- gifting – homemade liqueurs are one of my favorite things to gift, next to infused simple syrups! They look so cute in a unique glass bottle with a custom-made label or sticker!
ℹ️ troubleshooting tips
- ripe fruit – make sure to use fresh, ripe pomegranate arils for this infusion. Really take the time to sift through and toss any off-colored seeds, as their flavor won’t be as vibrant. Look for deep red arils for the best taste!
- let it rest – allowing your liqueur to rest or age a bit encourages the flavors to meld together, while also allowing the potentially harsh flavor of the alcohol to mellow out. Give your syrup a little rest in the back of your fridge for 5 – 7 days or so, then taste it again before adjusting the ingredients too much.
- bitter or medicinal – has your liqueur got a bit of a “medicine” flavor, even after resting? That’s okay! You may have included some of the pith, or white part of the inside of the fruit, when infusing the arils. It might also mean that the seeds got exposed to the liquor, too. Additionally, it could mean the flavor is over-extracted. BUT! You can offset almost any of this by adding in more simple syrup, 2 ounces at a time! If you run out of pomegranate syrup, you can use a classic simple syrup a few ounces at a time until you get the flavor you like.
- too sweet – if you like your liqueur to have more of a bite, you can lower the amount of syrup added. Be sure to sample it several times as you’re adding the syrup so you get a balance of flavor you like!
♻️ customize your homemade liqueurs
- classic syrup – no homemade grenadine? No problem! You can use a quick rich simple syrup by mixing together 1 cup of water and 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar. Your infusion won’t be as potently pomegranate as the original recipe, but it will still be quite tasty!
- add citrus – adding the peel from a lemon or orange gives this liqueur an additional depth of flavor that’s wonderful, too! I skipped it in the base recipe because I really wanted pomegranate to be the focus, but you can’t go wrong with a little twist of lemon! Just be sure to ONLY get the zest, not the white part of the peel, also called the pith.
- add herbs or spices – this infusion also pairs exceptionally well with holiday-forward spices, like cinnamon, clove, allspice, and vanilla! You can play around with the flavors and mix up a custom spiced pomegranate liqueur fit for the holidays!
🧰 equipment needed & storage tips
🫙 how to store homemade pomegranate liqueur
Store your finished liqueur in the fridge or freezer for up to a year. After about 6 months or so the flavor might start to lessen in intensity, so keep that in mind!
💬 q+a
How do I get the pomegranate seeds without making a big mess?
There’s no magical answer for making this a less tedious process, so I recommend settling in and really slowing down during the de-seeding process. It’s a nice way to connect to the present moment and work on your meditation practice. 😛 I find that using a big bowl of water is the best way to de-seed pomegranates without making a huge mess. Check out the step-by-step process in my post for making homemade pomegranate juice!
Do I really need to wait 2+ weeks to infuse this recipe?
YES. The time is what differentiates infused liqueurs from infused liquors. Liquor infusions are usually quicker, within a week or so, and they are delicately flavored versions of the base alcohol (tequila, gin, etc.).
I have seen some folks speed up the process by using fancy gadgets like sous vide machines, but to me, an easily overwhelmed ADHD’er, it’s more trouble than it’s worth to monitor all that. I prefer to just mix the ingredients and set a reminder on my Apple watch to check the infusion in 2-3 weeks. 🤣
Help! My liqueur is bitter/weak in flavor/too harsh!
Bitter liqueur can mean you have included pith from the pomegranate with the seeds, or that too many of the arils have ruptured and exposed the actual seeds to the liqueur. You can add more simple syrup to offset the flavor, or embrace it as an Italian amaro, like Aperol or Campari!
Weak tasting liqueur can mean your pomegranate wasn’t ripe enough in flavor. You can add some fresh juice to help flavor it, or more pomegranate syrup.
Harsh tasting liqueur can mean your infusion needs to mellow out a bit longer. Try letting it sit in the fridge or freezer for a week at a time between samplings.
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Homemade Pomegranate Liqueur
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Equipment
- 1 large glass jar with lid At least 4 cup capacity
- 1 fine mesh strainer non-reactive, stainless-steel
- 1 cheesecloth or coffee filter, for filtering out sediment
- 1 funnel
- 1 glass bottle with stopper for storing finished liqueur
- 1 kitchen scale or measuring cups
Ingredients
- 170 g pomegranate arils 1 cup, from 2 medium sized fruits
- 16 ounces 100-proof vodka 2 cups
- 420 g pomegranate syrup 1-1/2 cups, use high-quality grenadine or homemade
Instructions
- Prep pomegranates. Carefully extract the arils (seeds) from pomegranates. Place the pomegranate arils in a clean glass jar that can hold at least 4 cups of liquid.
- Add vodka. Pour 100-proof vodka over the arils, ensuring they're completely covered.
- Infuse. Seal the jar tightly and store in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks, gently shaking every few days.
- Strain. After 2 weeks, strain the infused vodka through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl, pressing gently on the arils to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Filter. For extra clarity, strain again through cheesecloth or a coffee filter. This also helps pause the infusion where it is, flavor wise, which is better for longer-term storage!
- Sweeten. Add pomegranate syrup to the strained infusion and stir thoroughly to combine.
- Bottle + store. Using a funnel, transfer the finished liqueur to clean bottles. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.
- Let it rest. Homemade liqueurs benefit from a gentle resting period, which allows the flavors to meld together. You can use your liqueur immediately, but I've found that they're even better after a week or so!
Notes
troubleshooting tips
- ripe fruit – make sure to use fresh, ripe pomegranate arils for this infusion. Really take the time to sift through and toss any off-colored seeds, as their flavor won’t be as vibrant. Look for deep red arils for the best taste!
- let it rest – allowing your liqueur to rest or age a bit encourages the flavors to meld together, while also allowing the potentially harsh flavor of the alcohol to mellow out. Give your syrup a little rest in the back of your fridge for 5 – 7 days or so, then taste it again before adjusting the ingredients too much.
- bitter or medicinal – has your liqueur got a bit of a “medicine” flavor, even after resting? That’s okay! It could mean the flavor is over-extracted, but you can offset this by adding in more simple syrup, 2 ounces at a time! If you run out of pomegranate syrup, you can use a classic simple syrup a few ounces at a time until you get the flavor you like.
- too sweet – if you like your liqueur to have more of a bite, you can lower the amount of syrup added. Be sure to sample it several times as you’re adding the syrup so you get a balance of flavor you like!
