Recipe for: Shiny pomegranate-orange cocktail with rosemary

First, prepare the pomegranate: cut it in half around the circumference. Hold one half over a large bowl with the cut side down and rhythmically hit the outer side of the fruit with a wooden spoon — the seeds should fall into the bowl. Remove the membranous white parts with your fingers. Gather about 300 g of seeds. If you are using ready-made seeds, proceed to the next step.

Peel the oranges using a peeler or a sharp vegetable knife, trying to remove only the thicker skin and the white albedo. Then, squeeze the juice using a manual citrus juicer into a measuring cup — you should get about 300 g of juice (2 medium oranges). If you have a kitchen scale, check the amount. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice (60 g). Grate the zest from one orange thinly — about 2 g of zest for decoration (optional).

Take rosemary sprigs (6 g). In a small saucepan, heat 50 ml of sparkling or still water until you see visible steam (not boiling) and immerse the rosemary in it for 30 seconds to release the essential oils. Remove the rosemary and transfer it to a bowl with ice cubes for 15 seconds — this 'shocking' will preserve the aroma and cool the herb. After this immersion, leave one sprig for decoration and finely crush the remaining needles in a mortar or between your hands to release the aroma.

In a large jug or carafe, combine orange juice (300 g) and lime juice (60 g). Add crushed rosemary needles, 2 tablespoons (optional honey instead) — if using honey (30 g), dissolve it first in 1 tablespoon of warm water (about 15 ml) until it becomes liquid, then add it to the juice. Stir vigorously with a spoon for 15–20 seconds until the syrup/honey is evenly distributed in the juice.

Add the prepared pomegranate seeds (300 g) to the pitcher with the juice. Gently stir with a wooden spoon for 10–15 seconds, so that some of the seeds float but do not burst. This will create the effect of 'floating jewels'. Taste the liquid with a spoon — if it is too sour, sweeten it slightly with honey (5–10 g at a time).

Now add the chilled sparkling water (400 ml) to the pitcher in a gentle stream, holding a spoon just above the surface of the liquid to prevent the bubbles from escaping too quickly. If you choose the alcoholic version, replace part of the sparkling water with prosecco (400 ml) — pour slowly down the side of the pitcher to maintain the fizz.

In tall, transparent glasses, add ice cubes (about 50 g per glass). Pour the cocktail evenly into 4 glasses, ensuring some pomegranate seeds remain on top. Garnish each glass with a sprig of rosemary and, if desired, a bit of grated orange zest on top (about 0.5 g per glass). Serve immediately — the bubbles are best right after preparation.

For the party version: instead of prosecco, use a combination of 200 ml prosecco and 200 ml sparkling water to balance the fizz and alcohol. Add 1–2 teaspoons of honey (5–10 g) if your guests prefer sweeter cocktails. You can also prepare ice cubes with a single pomegranate seed in each to maintain the aesthetic.