Get ready to party with this holiday-appropriate gin and “tonic” recipe. A homemade pomegranate and orange blender juice forms the base of this healthy cocktail, and we replace sugar-laden commercial tonic water with sparkling water.

Pomegranate Orange Gin and Tonic Recipe (Tonic Water-Free)

Are you in the festive spirit yet? If not, I’ve got just the thing: pomegranate orange gin and tonics.

This is the perfect drink to serve at different gatherings this month. It’s quite refreshing, boasts an impressive amount of vitamin C thanks to the fresh fruit juice, and there’s a generous amount of gin. Yippeeee.

I like to think that I am more of a cocktail connoisseur than I actually am. In reality, I have just two alcoholic spirits in my liquor cabinet: craft gin and Irish whiskey. When I settle down and have more expendable income, I certainly plan to have an expansive, Instagram-worthy liquor cart on display for whenever a cocktail craving arises. But I like to think of myself as an aspiring cocktail crafter, and I am honing my craft in my repeated forays into G & T territory for the time being.

This gin and tonic recipe veers away from tradition, featuring sparkling water, pomegranate and orange juice, and quality gin.

To be perfectly honest, I have repeatedly come close to buying tonic water from the grocery store, only to decide against it due to the sugar content, even in the higher end brands. I know that it is not a true gin and tonic without the quinine-infused tonic water, so feel free to use some in place of the sparkling water used here. However, I find that the sparkling water provides a nice clear context for the fruity flavours to really come through.

how to make pomegranate orange gin and tonics

These playful cocktails are made with a pomegranate and orange juice base, which you can make in a blender. Simply blend the orange and the pomegranate together with a bit of water and strain it through a fine mesh sieve to separate the juice from the pulp. The juice makes enough for two cocktails, so if you are just making one, you can save the rest of the juice to enjoy on its own the next day. Or you can omit the gin and serve the juice with some sparkling water as a mocktail.

Pomegranate Orange Gin and Tonic Recipe: the orange juice arranged with gin and fruit

Head on view of pomegranate and orange gin and tonics

I love the dark pink colour of these gin and tonics. They are very festive for the Christmas season, but they would also be fun to serve on Valentine’s Day!

more pomegranate recipes, please!

As you may have noticed, I have a bit of thing for pomegranate at the moment. If you are looking for more recipes that feature pomegranate, check out my Festive Pomegranate Kale and Sweet Potato Salad, my Moroccan Lentil Dip, and my Chocolate Steel Cut Oatmeal!

I hope that you love this pomegranate orange gin and tonic. If you make it, let us know how you enjoyed it by leaving a comment and review below. And post a photo to Instagram using @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen. I love seeing your recreations.