Pink Champagne Punch

By enelson74

Ingredients

• Accompaniment:
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 (4-inch long) strips lemon zest
• 1 cup chilled bottled pomegranate juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 750 milliliter bottle chilled pink sparkling wine or champagne
• lemon twists

Preparation

Step 1

Bring water, sugar, and lemon zest to a boil in a 1-quart saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar, then boil 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add pomegranate and lemon juice, then chill until very cold, at least 1 hour.
Just before serving, pour pomegranate syrup into a 2-quart glass pitcher and add champagne.

Cooks' Notes:
•Syrup can be made 2 days ahead and kept chilled.
•To squeeze juice from fresh pomegranates, halve them horizontally and squeeze them, like oranges, with a reamer.