Recipe for Pomegranate Liquor

Most people eat one or two a year. They're messy but they're full of antioxidants and vitamins. I use them to make an after dinner drink that's wonderful by itself...or spectacular when splashed in a glass of champagne.

Start by brewing a pomegranate syrup- you'll need to seperate the small red fruits from the bitter pith. This is done easily underwater.

Then mix
fruit of 2 pomegranates
1 cup of sugar
1 1/3 cups of water
Simmer mixture for 20 minutes, do not boil. Boiling makes the juice bitter. When the sugar has dissolved, and the syrup has simmered a bit, remove from heat and bash open the pomegranate fruits with the back of a spoon. Strain the syrup mixture and allow to completely cool. I used to try to mash the fruit before cooking it, but this was difficult and you lost a lot of juice.
Combine with the 1 liter of vodka, and add the zest of 2 lemons. Place in a cool dark place for one week. Siphon of the clear liquor, leaving the mucky stuff at the bottom. You can repeat this for two more weeks if you want a clear, beautiful liquid, but I usually can't wait for the stuff that long. I bottle it up and use as Christmas presents. Keep refrigerated.
Cheers