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This Spicy Pomegranate Ginger Paloma is a tried and true favorite that everyone will enjoy. Homemade honey ginger syrup, spiked with a touch of cayenne, then mixed with pomegranate juice and tequila and topped off with bubbly ginger beer for the perfect holiday drink. Great for Thanksgiving and all of the upcoming holiday parties too. Make a large batch to serve to family and friends this season, this is so easy to create.
Ok, I know, I know. This cocktail is festive…but it’s festive for both Thanksgiving and Christmas! When I shot this the other day, it was snowing and I just kept wanting to make it feel special. With the red color, it was hard to not make this look Christmassy.
But it’s fine, it’s such a delicious cocktail. It will be great (and easy) for both Thanksgiving and for the December festivities too!
It’s all things Holiday and it’s perfection.
The details
Keeping this one pretty simple. Start with the Spicy Ginger Syrup.
It’s honey, ginger, a good pinch of cayenne, and then fresh mint. This adds the spiciness, but it’s not intense, it’s just right.
That special touch
We all know I love to add an air of specialness to each cocktail. For this drink, it’s the Spicy Ginger Syrup and the spicy sweet rim.
Now the sweet rim isn’t a must, but it sure is delicious. A mix of coarse sugar, sugar, and cayenne, really makes this paloma sparkle.
Once your glass is rimmed, make the paloma.
Mix the pomegranate juice with grapefruit juice, lime, and then, of course, tequila. Add as much syrup as you’d like, then top the drink off with ginger beer.
It’s fizzy, minty, gingery, and full of sweet pomegranate and tequila. This paloma is perfectly spicy and such a fun festive drink to mix up for any holiday party. The Spicy Ginger Syrup makes enough for at least 6 drinks, but can easily be doubled (or tripled), for a large batch of drinks.
Make enough for everyone and enjoy!
Looking for other easy Thanksgiving cocktails?? Here are my favorites:
Lastly, if you make this Spicy Pomegranate Ginger Paloma, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Spicy Pomegranate Ginger Paloma
Servings: 1 drink
Calories Per Serving: 1205 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Spicy Ginger Syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 leaves mint
Paloma
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/4 cup grapefruit juice
- juice from 1/2 a lime
- 2-4 tablespoons Spicy Ginger Syrup
- 2 ounces tequila
- ginger beer, for topping
Spicy Sweet Rim (optional)
- 1 tablespoon coarse sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- cayenne to taste
Instructions
- 1. To make the spicy ginger syrup, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, ginger, and cayenne to a boil over high heat. Once boiling simmer, 1-2 minutes and then remove from the heat. Add the mint, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Strain out the ginger and mint. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.2. On a small plate, mix the coarse sugar, sugar, and a pinch of cayenne. Run a lime wedge around the rim of your glass and dip into the sugar mix. 3. Fill your glass with ice. Add the pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, spicy ginger syrup, and tequila. Stir to combine and then top with ginger beer. Enjoy!
Spicy Pomegranate Ginger Paloma Pitcher
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 440 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Spicy Ginger Syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 (inch) piece ginger, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 fresh mint leaves
Paloma Pitcher
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 2 cups grapefruit juice
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup Spicy Ginger Syrup, or to taste (recipe above)
- 1 1/2-2 cups tequila
- 2-3 ginger beer, for topping
Instructions
- 1. To make the syrup, bring 1/2 cup water, the honey, ginger, and cayenne to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, simmer 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the mint, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Strain out the ginger and mint. Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.2. In a large pitcher, combine the pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, Spicy Ginger Syrup, and tequila. Chill until ready to serve. 3. Rim each glass with Spicy Sweet Sugar (grab the recipe above)4. Just before serving, add ice to the chilled pitcher and pour the bubbly ginger beer over top.
Made a pitcher for friends this weekend and everyone loved it. Super yummy, not too sweet and just the right amount of spice. Nice to serve something a little different special ❤️
Hey Adaire,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
The drink is yummy, but the ingredient amounts for the spicy ginger syrup for 2 cocktails and the pitcher seem to be reversed.
You need to really check how much sweetness you want as 4-8 TBL of spicy ginger syrup for 2 drinks is way too much for my taste.
The mint flavor did not come thru at all – I plan to add a mint sprig to each glass . Also plan to try it with orange juice instead of grapefruit. I used Tajin and sugar as a rimmer, VS cayenne, as my guests have tender palates.
Hi Nancy,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry you found the syrup to be too sweet, you definitely should adjust that to your liking! Cheers! xx
How many cocktails does this make (3-4 depending on glass size)?
I have 6 girlfriends coming — and thinking I need to triple the recipe?
Hi Vickie,
I would go ahead and follow the pitcher recipe listed above, that will make 8 servings:) xT
Awesome — thank you. I’m making them tonight for a girl’s night. I just made the simple syrup and that, in itself, it delicious. Looking forward to tasting the final cocktail.
Thanks so much Vickie! xT
If you made this a mock tail, what would you sub for tequila?
Hi Melissa,
You will just use additional ginger beer. I hope you love this recipe! Cheers! xT
So delicious! After saving this recipe for months, finally got around to making it! I used ginger cordial as the syrup plus muddled mint leaves, and sparkling grapefruit. Really yummy. Make again 😉
Hi Marilla,
Love to hear that this recipe was delish! Thanks for making it and your feedback! Have a great weekend!🍁🍃
Incredible drink. I love the spice! It was loved by all on Christmas Day.
Hey Holly,
Happy Wednesday!!🎇 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you making it! xx
Hi! Can I use ginger paste instead of fresh ginger for the syrup? I wouldn’t be able to strain it out, obviously…
Hey Steph,
Sure, I don’t see why that wouldn’t work for you! Let me know how this recipe turns out! Cheers! xT
Just so good! I love the spicy ginger syrup. It was such a hit and my new favorite drink. A total keeper! I am now off to look at your other drinks….
Hey Ali,
Happy Holidays!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try! 🎄❄️
Hi there! What juice would you recommend to substitute the grapefruit juice with, or if at all? Thanks!
Hi Jensen,
The grapefruit juice is really the essence of a Paloma, but the recipe will work with another fruit juice. I hope this helps. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xx
Thanks for the response! We tried it with orange juice and it was a hit! Thanks!
Awesome!!
This cocktail is so delicious! It has a nice zip and not too sweet. The sugar/cayenne rim is a must for the perfect sip every time. Thank you for another slam dunk recipe- you have never steered me wrong!
Hey Melissa,
Happy Sunday! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was delish! xx
Made this cocktail to enjoy while prepping Thanksgiving dinner with my daughter and her boyfriend. He was not a tequila fan so he substituted Bombay Sapphire Gin. Both versions were fabulous!
Hey Tammy,
Wonderful!!🎄 I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xx
This recipe came out great for special Thanksgiving drinks. I made the pitcher recipe and left out the tequila to make individual cocktails or mocktails. Everyone liked it- it is a refreshing fall cocktail with a kick from the ginger and cayenne. I feel like it was well worth the effort to make, thanks for the recipe
Hey Stephanie,
Awesome!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great weekend!🎄⛄️
Hello! is there a way to make this into a mocktail?
Hey Bela,
You bet, just skip the tequila and add more ginger beer:) I hope you love this recipe!! xx
I made a pitcher for Thanksgiving and when everyone loved so much, made a 2nd one! The drink was festive looking and so delicious. Loved that not a “sweet” drink with the little zing of spice. Planning a repeat for other side of the family for Christmas Eve!!!
Hey Anne,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were fantastic! We each had two while we were finishing up the side dishes and we definitely had to take a break to shake off the giggles so we didn’t burn the Turkey! We had a few more after dinner! Everyone loved them. Not too sweet, and easy going down.
Also, I forgot to add, that instead of the sugar rim, I mixed 1:1 sugar and Tajin for the rim! So so so delicious.
Hey Beverly,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xx
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was perfect. The only change I made was in making the simple syrup. I thought the cayenne turned the syrup into a red/brown mixture so I started over by simmering a jalapeno pepper with equal parts water & sugar. I floated the ginger beer on top and added mint leaves for garnish.
This cocktail is a lovely holiday treat!
Hi Wendy,
Happy Sunday!!⛄️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xxT