Name: Bruised Pomegranate
Total time: 4 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 40 ml Rye whiskey 50% abv; 40 ml Red quinquina e.g. Dubonnet, Byrrh; 5 ml Grenadine syrup; 5 ml Chilled water; 1 dash Absinthe; 1 dash Orange bitters; 4 drop Chocolate bitters; 2 drop Saline solution 4:1

Bruised Pomegranate
Jump to

Keep screen awake

Glass:

Photographed in a Retro Coupe Engraved 7.75oz

Ingredients:
1 ¹⁄₃ fl oz	Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
1 ¹⁄₃ fl oz	Dubonnet, Byrrh etc. rouge light quinquina
¹⁄₆ fl oz	Monin Grenadine Syrup
¹⁄₆ fl oz	Chilled water/mineral water omit if using wet ice
1 dash	La Fée Parisienne absinthe
1 dash	Orange Bitters by Angostura
4 drop	Chocolate bitters
2 drop	Saline solution (20g sea salt to 80g water) or merest pinch of s optional

Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
Prepare garnish of orange zest twist and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

How to make:

THROW all ingredients with ice.
STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

EXPRESS orange zest twist over cocktail and discard.
Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Review:

This cocktail sits somewhere in the East River between a Manhattan and a Brooklyn with a splash of Thames Estuary.

View readers' comments

History:

Created in August 2015 by yours truly at the Cabinet Room, London. In June 2026, I revisited the Bruised Pomegranate and reduced both the rye whiskey and rouge quinquina from 45ml (1½oz) each. Assuming the use of good-tempered bar ice, I also reduced the chilled water back down to a mere barspoon. This may seem an irreverently small amount of water, but this helps open the cocktail.

More cocktails by Simon Difford

Nutrition:

One serving of Bruised Pomegranate contains 136 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
25.16% alc./vol. (50.33° proof)
20.7 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

Join the discussion

Showing 7 comments for Bruised Pomegranate.
See discussion in the Forum

Please log in to make a comment

Ruth Harvey

1st July at 20:15

Everyone should know about this cocktail.... genius level in my opinion👌🏼

G. M. Genovese

6th June at 19:09

I would agree that adding a skosh of pomegranate juice would add some savored acidity. My rye was 20 ml Dad’s Hat rye with 25 ml Wild Turkey 101 8 year. Also used Byrrh, Morgenthaler grenadine (my house standard), and Bittermens Xocolatl Mole... All this drink has is quality and potential for further excellence... Kudos on the recipe.

Tuber Magnatum

24th January at 23:28

Hard, i.e. impossible to source Byrrh locally, dare I say nationally, so substituted Dubonnet. Not having tried Byrrh I can't speak to how it compares. I can say though this was excellent. But then I love grenadine (used homemade) and chocolate which shines in this drink.

Simon Sedgley

20th May 2024 at 08:06

This is a rambunctious cocktail at first sip but does mellow with ice-melt in the glass (although ice in the glass is contrary to the instructions). I added 5ml of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, which did have a gently taming effect. All said, it's a wonderful cocktail!

Chris English

7th May 2023 at 07:55

I agree that this is a fabulous way to showcase Byrrh. With pomegranate syrup (and 2.5ml sugar syrup) rather than grenadine it was an even more complex flavour. And just seemed right!

Calvin Grant

22nd May 2022 at 04:26

Superb, Sublime. Another wonderful reason to always keep a bottle of Byrrh in the fridge.

Felicia

14th April 2022 at 23:21

If your throwing skills end up on the floor…is there another way to adequately mix?

Simon Difford

15th April 2022 at 07:26

Best to stir rather than shake. Or, put all ingredients and ice into shaker and seal, but rather than shake, turn the shake in a rolling motion upending each end in turn.