The end of summer can bring a person down — the startling realization that the suns stay is fleeting, replaced by dim, icy days.  Luckily for me, I’m a full-fledged, dyed in the pumpkin-wool Fall person, but I feel for those who are a bit mopey come this weekend.  So let’s find a solution for the newly dour: how about pomegranate and prosecco cocktails?  I have several gallons of pomegranate juice in my fridge waiting for me to exhaust my supply of homemade grenadine, so I decided to cut to the quick and use it straight.  I found the first recipe, a Sparkling Pomegranate cocktail, via the Martha Stewart website (hardcore):

• 1 ounce simple syrup
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) vodka
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) fresh or bottled pomegranate juice
• 3 ounces (1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sparkling wine

This was a nice drink, light, syrupy, and I got an almost cherry coke vibe from it.  Except it had alcohol, so it was even better than cherry coke.

Pom cocktails do look beautiful, don’t they?  Next up was the Pomegranate Champagne cocktail that I discovered on Tori Avey’s helpful site. This was a stand out, absolutely wondrous, subtly sweet taste that brought out the orange tint of the cointreau, the tartness of the pomegranate, and the bite of the prosecco.  I definitely plan on making a large batch of this as a punch for a party.! I used homemade lime juice and a bit of simple syrup to sweeten the recipe a smidge.

• 2 tbsp pure 100% pomegranate juice, chilled
• 1 tbsp Cointreau
• 1/2 tsp pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 tsp sweetened lime juice
• Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled