Pomelo juice is the juice of the pomelo (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis), a large, segmented citrus fruit native to southeast Asia. The pomelo is an ancestor of both the tangelo and the grapefruit, and may also be a forerunner of the orange. Sometimes the pomelo is known as the shaddock, pummelo, or Chinese grapefruit. Pomelos are large, weighing in at between one and two kilograms, and have a greenish to yellow skin. They look like very large grapefruit.
Pomelo juice is less acidic and less bitter than [ingredient=grapefruit-juice grapefruit juice], with a pleasant, honeyed aroma. Even though it is not well known if pomelo juice has the same inhibiting effects on the CYP3A4 metabolism pathway, some studies have concluded that drinking pomelo juice while taking cyclosporines (a common antibiotic) can increase the bioavailability of the drug. Care should be taken using pomelo juice in cocktails for this reason.
Some popular cocktails containing Pomelo juice
- Zombie Island Punch — Rum, Orange liqueur, Allspice Dram, Bitters, Pomelo juice, Lime juice, Passion fruit syrup, Vanilla syrup
- Lucky Tiger — Cognac, Ginger liqueur, Pomelo juice
- Rise and Shine — Tequila, Strega, Aperol, Pomelo juice, Lime juice, Simple syrup, Salt