Cranberry Mimosa

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a Champagne flute, pour the pomegranate liqueur and cranberry juice.

3. Top with Champagne.

4. Garnish with a few fresh cranberries and a sprig of pine. Serve and enjoy.

The Flavor of Pine

Adding pine to cocktails is not a new thing whatsoever. After all, juniper berries are the key ingredient in gin and a warm cup of pine tea is great in the winter. In modern mixology, many bartenders have experimented with adding fresh pine to cocktails and the results are quite impressive.

The pine used in the Christmas mimosa is very gentle in comparison to other applications. By simply garnishing the drink with a single sprig, that piney flavor softly adds dimension to the cocktail. It should not become overwhelming because you'll be drinking as it infuses. You can always remove the garnish once the flavor hits your desired taste. 

Choose Your Pine Carefully

There is some caution when it comes to selecting an edible pine, however. While the majority of pine and fir trees are safe for people, there are a few that are toxic. It's important that you properly identify any evergreen you're going to take a cutting from.

The trees to avoid include hemlock, Norfolk Island pine (or Australian pine), and Ponderosa pine (not all of these are true pines, either). Common pine trees like the white pine, any spruce, and balsam and Douglas firs are safe and among your best choices.

Additionally, women who are pregnant should not drink or eat any pine. Keep this in mind when serving the mocktail and use an alternative garnish.

If you're not up for foraging for the proper pine, rosemary is a perfect substitution! It adds more of a warm, floral flavor, but creates an equally festive Christmas cocktail.