The pomegranate martini stormed the bar scene like an assault on Troy. It has become the favorite alcoholic elixir of the new millennium. It does not matter if you are sauntering up to an indie bar in Greenwich Village or sitting down for a $9.99 entree at a chain restaurant in the suburbs, the drink has become a ubiquitous selection on the bar menu. It has easily usurped the traditional martini, as well as the appletini and cosmopolitan, as the number one drink choice amongst women of a certain class and demographic.
The cocktail has found a permanent home amongst ladies who lunch. As these women sit in the most luxurious capitals around the globe, eating their arugula and salmon salads, chances are there is a pomegranate cocktail close by. Perhaps its popularity has something to do with the color. The lush, ruby-red shade perfectly matches a pair of well painted lips and a hip, designer blouse.The Sex and the City crowd have turned a whimsical fad into a force to be reckoned with. From the hip hotspots and Michelin star bistros, the popularity of the drink spread like an out of control wildfire into every strip-mall restaurant in the United States. From there it was just a short hop and shake to the cul-de-sacs and backyard barbecues, to the granite counter-topped kitchens where debonair husbands play bartender every Friday night, mixing up new cocktails for neighbors and friends. Whatever your feelings on the drink might be, the pomegranate cocktail is here to stay.
The pomegranate martini rode to prominence on the first health food wave and beauty craze in America. The late 1990s saw a rabid explosion of healthy living concepts, cosmetic surgery, Botox and organic products. Living a healthy lifestyle was intricately mixed-up with new technological procedures to improve our appearance. A nip, a tuck and a shot of Botox was followed up with Yoga and a kale protein shake. Everybody, it seems, was looking for the Fountain of Youth, and they were dabbling in all sorts of uncharted waters to erase their crow’s feet and improve their body image. The pomegranate cocktail fit seamlessly into these cultural fads.
The health benefits of the pomegranate have long been touted as extraordinary. In fact, the pomegranate has become an almost mythical fruit. For centuries it has been believed to be a super fruit. From preventing health disease to improving liver and kidney function, it has been heralded by scientists all over the world. The magical power of the pomegranate does not end there. It is also believed to help rejuvenate the skin by slowing down the oxidation of cells. If that is not enough, new research now proclaims the pomegranate to be an aphrodisiac. Indulge in a glass of pomegranate juice, a bar of chocolate and a dozen oysters and you will be in for an incredibly steamy night in the bedroom.
Whether or not you order up a pomegranate martini for its health benefits, aphrodisiac qualities or its sweet, smooth taste, any cocktail that resembles a Fountain of Youth is sure to be more than just a passing fad. You never know: perhaps we will live forever, one shimmery red cocktail at a time.
Photo by oufoxy