From the roundup: 12 Easy Non Alcoholic Drink Recipes: Mocktails, Smoothies, and Lemonades
This pomegranate rosemary sparkling lemonade has become my go-to for any gathering where I want something in a pretty glass that isn’t just sparkling water with a lime wedge. The base comes together in about 15 minutes, and most of that is waiting for the rosemary syrup to cool. Active time is genuinely closer to 10 minutes.
The rosemary syrup is the part that makes this drink taste like you actually thought about it. Five minutes of simmering is all you need. I learned the hard way that going even a few minutes longer pulls a sharp, piney bitterness out of the rosemary that no amount of extra sugar fixes. Set a timer and walk away.
One batch fills six glasses, and you can mix the juice base up to two days ahead so all you’re doing at party time is pouring in the sparkling water. The color from the pomegranate juice is deep red without any food coloring, which means it photographs well and looks intentional even when you threw it together between school pickup and dinner.
Why you will love this
- The rosemary syrup takes 5 minutes to simmer and can be made up to two weeks ahead, so the day-of work is minimal.
- 100 percent pomegranate juice gives the drink a deep red color that looks festive without any extra steps.
- The flavor is layered: tart from fresh lemon, fruity from pomegranate, and softly herbal from the rosemary. It doesn’t taste like fruit punch.
- You can mix the juice base two days before your event and just add sparkling water right before guests arrive.
- It scales easily. Double the batch for a larger crowd and use the same timing on the syrup.
Tips for success
- Set a timer for exactly 5 minutes once the syrup reaches a gentle simmer. Past that point the rosemary flavor turns sharp and piney, and it will affect the whole drink.
- Let the syrup cool completely before mixing it with the juices. Warm syrup will flatten the sparkling water faster and the flavor won’t blend as cleanly.
- Use 100 percent pomegranate juice, not a pomegranate cocktail blend. Check the label. A blend will taste thinner and sweeter in a way that throws off the balance with the lemon.
- Add the sparkling water last and stir only once or twice. Over-stirring kills the bubbles before the drink even makes it to the glass.
Common questions
- Can I make this for a crowd? Yes. Double or triple the batch. The syrup scales well in the same pan, just watch that the simmer stays gentle.
- What if it tastes too tart? Stir in a little extra rosemary syrup, one teaspoon at a time, until the balance feels right to you.
- Can kids drink this? Yes, there’s no alcohol. My pickier kids prefer it with a little less lemon, so I sometimes hold back a tablespoon and adjust at the end.
- Does sparkling water brand matter? Not really. Plain club soda works just as well as any labeled sparkling water.
Substitutions
Cranberry juice works in place of pomegranate juice. The color stays red but the flavor is sharper and a little more one-note, so you may want to pull back slightly on the lemon. Bottled lemon juice is fine in a pinch, but fresh lemon juice tastes noticeably brighter here, and you only need about 4 lemons, so it’s worth squeezing them.
If rosemary isn’t your thing, a few sprigs of fresh thyme make a milder, slightly floral syrup. Fresh basil also works and gives the drink a completely different character. Use the same 5-minute simmer time for either swap.
Make-ahead and storage
The rosemary simple syrup keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, so you can make it well before your event. The mixed base of pomegranate juice, lemon juice, and cooled syrup can be combined and refrigerated in a covered pitcher for up to two days. Taste it again before serving and adjust sweetness or lemon if needed.
Always add the sparkling water right before pouring. If you add it too early, the drink goes flat. Don’t freeze the finished drink or the base with sparkling water added. The plain juice and syrup base could technically be frozen, but the texture of the fresh lemon juice suffers, so refrigerating and using within two days is the better move.
Pomegranate Rosemary Sparkling Lemonade
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Combine the sugar, water, and fresh rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, which takes about 2 minutes. Once the sugar is fully dissolved and you can see the syrup is clear, bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Let the syrup simmer with the rosemary for exactly 5 minutes. Set a timer. At 5 minutes the rosemary gives the syrup a soft, fragrant herbal quality. Past that point the flavor shifts toward piney and sharp, which you do not want. Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the timer goes off.
- Pour the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a small bowl or jar. Discard the rosemary sprigs. Let the syrup cool to room temperature before using, about 15 minutes. If you are making this ahead, cover the jar and refrigerate.
- Juice your lemons until you have 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice. Strain out any seeds.
- Pour the pomegranate juice, fresh lemon juice, and cooled rosemary syrup into a large pitcher. Stir everything together well. Taste the base. It should be pleasantly tart and sweet with a mild herbal note in the background. Add a little more syrup if you want it sweeter, or another squeeze of lemon if you want more brightness.
- Right before serving, pour the sparkling water into the pitcher slowly and stir just once or twice to combine without knocking out all the bubbles. Fill glasses with ice and pour the drink over the top. Garnish each glass with a small rosemary sprig and a pinch of pomegranate arils if you like. Serve immediately while the drink is still bubbly.
Notes
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