Love Potion No. 9

This is from Pat and Gina Neely’s wonderful cookbook, The Neely’s Celebration Cookbook. We have had a few recipes from the book and everything so far has been a winner. This particular recipe is a little different from the Love Potion versions we have seen in our drinks book, but it is also a fabulous drink. Not sweet, not sour, just pleasantly tart.


We bought some pomegranate arils at Sam’s on an impulse. I never had them before. Connie has, but doesn’t like dealing with the whole fruit. He said they are a pain in the neck (or something south of that).


Tonight, my human dumbwaiter (Connie's nickname for himself!  I ask him to go to the basement to bring things up from the fridge all the time because it saves my knees and gives him something to rant about - and goodness knows he loves to rant - all in jest but still, he loves it!) was feeding a cat and up he comes with a packet of the arils. He ran them through a food mill, also known as a Foley mill, and came up with 5 or so ounces of juice.


He had no plan, it was an expiration date thing. I remembered this recipe and off we went. We had the ingredients and it worked out beautifully.


The Neely’s Love Potion No. 9 (for two)


Ingredients:
4 oz of citrus vodka (we make our own using Smirnoff and citrus peels)
1 ½ oz of Grand Marnier (the Neely’s call for Cointreau, but we substitute)
4 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice


(The Neely’s call for pomegranate seeds for garnish, but someone crushed everything in the food mill before any recipe was suggested - and someone else really doesn't care for the seeds as is).


Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Add the garnish. Toast the love of your life and enjoy!