Orange and Pomegranate Non-Alcoholic Spritz

Name: Orange and Pomegranate Spritz
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 parts pomegranate juice (preferably unsweetened); 1 part orange juice; 1 part sparkling water*; 1 fennel stalk; Orange slice or pomegranate seeds to garnish

As part of her series on what to eat and drink as winter turns to spring, Chiara Montalto Giannini recommends this spritz, made in honor of her grandfather.

By Chiara Montalto Giannini

11:46 AM EDT on March 25, 2024

Orange pomegranate mocktail — An orange pomegranate mocktail with a fennel straw.

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This recipe is part of Appetito contributor Chiara Montalto Giannini's series on food and drink to make during the bridge between spring and winter. For this Orange and Pomegranate Spritz, she recommends using a fennel "straw," which adds a hint of licorice to the drink; just remove the fronds from a fennel stalk and trim as needed. This spritz can be made non-alcoholic with soda or sparkling water providing the fizz, or as a low-ABV cocktail with prosecco.

The other recipes in the series are: Peperonata | Radicchio Risotto

When I was younger, my grandfather used to say that when he was a kid, they would never discard the top part of the fennel. Instead, they’d use it as a sort of straw for sipping white wine. The bottom bulb was usually served after dinner as a digestive, but occasionally, it’d be used in a salad of fennel, orange, and pomegranate.

I’m not a bartender or a mixologist by any stretch, but this drink is something I put together in his honor — whenever I have fennel “ straws” on hand.