Purple People Pleaser
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 tee-totalers, 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.
Pomegranate
First a word of warning. Pom juice will stain anything on earth, so be careful when processing the fruit or juice. I buy commercial juice and arils to minimize the danger of splatter while working with them.
Pomegranate’s natural home is Iran and Northern India, but migrated to Spain and the U.S. long ago. It grows from a tall shrub and has anti-oxidant superpowers three times that of red wine. I find the flavor extremely sweet with a hint of tartness and the arils (seeds) have a delightful crunch.
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
