Ever since we visited Israel last year, I've had a mild obsession with pomegranates. In the old city of Jerusalem, we drank the freshly squeezed juice from little market stands.

I even found a street vendor manning a stand outside the ruins of Capernaum who let me "help" him extract the juice from these jeweled orbs. 

The sharp, sweet flavor, combined with the iridescent ruby red seeds that burst in your mouth with a "pop", are a holiday party waiting to happen. Here is my take on a copper mug classic, the moscow mule, but with the addition of pomegranate juice and seeds to make it festive. The refreshing flavors marry together perfectly; and of course we had to invite the newly married couple over to help us sample the final product, sipped properly from frosty, copper mugs. I was inspired to make this recipe by www.thecookierookie.com.

Pomegranate Moscow Mule

12 oz. pomegranate juice (that's 1 1/2 cups)

6 oz. vodka

3 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice (about two limes)

2  -  6.8 oz. bottles ginger beer (or the equivalent)

pomegranate seeds and lime slices for garnish

Put your copper mugs in the freezer to get very cold. Squeeze the limes; pour the juice into a small pitcher. Add the vodka and the pomegranate juice and stir to mix. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve the drinks. Add the two bottles of ginger beer. Fill each copper mug 2/3 full of ice cubes; pour the beverage over the ice. Add 1-2 spoonfuls of pomegranate seeds to each mug and place a lime slice on each rim. Makes about 6 drinks. 

*** The easiest way to remove the seeds from a pomegranate: cut the fruit in half. Holding the cut side down in the palm of your hand over a large bowl, rap firmly and quickly on the top of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon. Keep smacking until all the seeds have dropped out into the bowl.

Here are the reactions of my official tasters: (Yes, I will gladly add your name to this list! All you need to do is be sure that I win all the word games that we play, and you too can be part of this select team).