Pomegranate Negroni
I don’t drink a lot of alcoholic cocktails because I find them too strong, but I have a sweet spot for a properly made Negroni—a bitter and sweet drink perfect for the holidays. I’ve discovered first hand that the locals in Rome take their Negronis seriously. By that I mean: the topic of what makes a proper Negroni can be debated for hours. Most agree, at least, that a Negroni is made from equal parts gin, vermouth, and Campari liquor, served over ice with a twist of orange. The cocktail is meant to help wind down from the day and stimulate the appetite for the evening meal. For many of my Italian friends, sipping on a Negroni is a daily ritual that bridges afternoon into evening.
Creating a booze-free Negroni
Last summer, when I created a 4-day menu for the Caldera House Wellness Retreat, my thoughts turned to the Negroni, specifically how lovely it would be to help guests ease into the evening after a full day spent hiking around the Tetons. But my menu for this retreat was free of alcohol (and dairy, gluten, soy, and meat) and so I was challenged to create a booze-free Negroni-inspired recipe that still evoked all the comforting sweet, bitter, and refreshing notes of the one I so enjoy when in Rome.
My new Negroni starts with pomegranate juice (easy to find in the refrigerated section at your grocery store). Pomegranates provide off-the-charts levels of polyphenols, antioxidants that combat brain inflammation, when compared to most other fruits. In fact, pomegranate juice has been studied in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease and found to stave off the neurodegenerative effect of oxidative stress on the brain. There are a handful of studies in humans, too, hinting at improved memory function for those consuming pomegranate juice regularly.
What makes pomegranates anti-inflammatory?
The ability of pomegranates to quell neuroinflammation may be due to a compound called punicalagin, which has been well-studied for its ability to delay the progression of rheumatoid arthritis and Parkinson’s. Now researchers are looking into how it could help fight Alzheimer’s by reducing inflammation in specific brain cells called microglia. Inflammation in microglia leads to destruction of other brain cells that can make dementia worse.
But here’s the thing: Pomegranate juice also contains a fair amount of sugar, which isn’t great for brain health. For this reason, I limited the amount in my Pomegranate Negroni to 3 tablespoons of juice per drink. I also made sure that our guests at the Wellness Retreat had a fiber-rich snack along with it to slow down the sugar’s absorption.
Cherry juice may enhance memory
As so much of the flavor of a Negroni comes from the alcohol, I had to do some tinkering around in the kitchen to match the trademark bittersweet aperitif. I finally settled on adding Angostura bitters, a brand that is easily available. Next I added cherry concentrate, which you may have seen in the juice aisle of the grocery store. (Look for tart cherry concentrate made from Montmorency cherries.) The tart and sweet elements of cherry concentrate taste like the orange peel flavor in Campari, and from a brain-health perspective, it has benefits, too. Animal studies suggest that consuming Montmorency tart cherry juice enhances memory and cognitive function. In one small study in humans, researchers found improvements in memory in healthy men and women over 60 who drank tart cherry juice every day for 12 weeks compared to a placebo group.
I top each glass off with a generous curl of orange peel for the aroma and bitter pith, which draw on a Negroni’s traditional flavors.
How did our Wellness Retreat guests like the Pomegranate Negroni? After full days of yoga, meditation, and sporting in the Tetons, they gave my non-alcoholic nod to Rome’s favorite drink an enthusiastic thumbs up.
Ingredients
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- Use a vegetable peeler to shave off at least four paper-thin strips of orange peel; set aside.
- Juice the orange; you should have about ½ cup.
- Pour the pomegranate, ½ cup orange juice, cherry concentrate, and bitters into a cocktail shaker or a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well.
- Fill 4 highball glasses halfway with ice, then top with the pomegranate mixture until each glass is three-quarters full. Top with soda water and stir gently.
- Twist a strip or two of orange peel with your fingers over each drink to release its oils and lay across the top of the glass.
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