The Purple People Pleaser is a sweet bomb, tempered by ginger beer and lime. It’s a satisfying addition to my Dry January cocktail menu that everyone finds appealing. The PPP is cherished by both my drinking and non-drinking friends. For the teetotalers, it’s their ticket to the fun and camaraderie of our evening ritual.
Inspiration arrived with the memory of Sheb Wooley’s 1958 song. The refrain about a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ Purple People Eater left a life-long impression on a a pre-schooler.
If you’re paying attention you noticed I didn’t include non-alcoholic in the name. It’s intentional because I believe this and others are worthy of being called cocktails in their own right. Whatever you do…don’t “mock” them because they are seriously good.
Making the Purple People Pleaser
A Quick Word of Caution: Pomegranate juice is potent—delicious, yes, but stains anything. It will cling to fabric, wood, and skin with a vengeance, so handle with care. To avoid the mess, I usually opt for 100% pure bottled juice and pre-packaged arils. It’s less dramatic, but far less risky.
Native to Iran and northern India, the pomegranate has traveled well over the centuries, finding new homes in Spain, California, and beyond. It grows on a tall, elegant shrub and boasts antioxidant levels that put red wine to shame—nearly three times as much, in fact. The flavor is bold: deeply sweet with a subtle tart edge, and the arils (those jewel-like seeds) add a juicy crunch that makes eating them as enjoyable as sipping the juice.
Purple people pleaser is the second of our series for Dry January. If you missed The Virgin Man, Bug’s Treat, or Better Than Catnip, now’s the time to catch up. Print
Purple People Pleaser
Pomengranite, ginger beer and lime
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- Cocktail or coupe glass
- 2–1/4 oz pomegranate juice
- 1–1/2 oz spicy, non-alcoholic ginger beer
- 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
- Lime twist – garnish
- 1 tsp pomegranate arils – garnish
Instructions
- Chil a glass and the pom juice in the cooler
- Make your lime twist and then squeeze your lime juice
- Remove the glass and place a layer of ice cubes on the bottom of the glass
- Add the pom juice, then the lime juice and top with the ginger beer. Don’t float the ice, or your arils will fall off!
- Garnish with the lime twist on the rim and a teaspoon of arils on top the ice