POG (passion-orange-guava juice)

Units

Temperature

Servings

Ingredients

300 ml passion fruit juice, fresh lilikoi pulp strained of its seeds, or bottled passion fruit juice or nectar
300 ml orange juice, freshly squeezed or good-quality bottled, unsweetened
300 ml guava juice or nectar, fresh guava is essentially unobtainable outside the tropics, so nectar is the standard choice
20 g sugar or simple syrup, to taste, since passion fruit and guava are both naturally tart (optional)

Strain the passion fruit, if using fresh. Halve fresh passion fruit (lilikoi), scoop the pulp and seeds into a fine sieve set over a bowl, and press with the back of a spoon to extract the juice, discarding the seeds. Skip this step entirely if using bottled passion fruit juice or nectar.
Combine the three juices. In a large pitcher, stir together the passion fruit juice, orange juice and guava juice or nectar until evenly blended.
Taste and sweeten if needed. Passion fruit and guava are both naturally tart, so stir in sugar or simple syrup a little at a time until the blend tastes balanced. Skip this if your bottled juices are already sweetened.
Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the flavours meld, then pour over ice in tall glasses.

Commercial POG is often lightly sweetened. Because passion fruit and guava both lean tart on their own, bottled and canned commercial blends frequently add a little sugar to round out the flavour. Taste your homemade blend before serving and adjust, since unsweetened juices vary a lot in tartness depending on the brand and season.
Keeps refrigerated for a few days. The three juices separate on standing, so shake or stir the pitcher well before pouring each time.
Don’t add ice straight to the pitcher. Add ice to individual glasses just before serving instead, or freeze a little extra POG in ice cube trays, so the drink doesn’t get watered down as the ice melts.

Passion fruit juice (lilikoi) is the traditional ingredient, made by straining fresh pulp of its seeds. Fresh passion fruit is only occasionally available at specialty grocers in Germany and Canada, so frozen passion fruit purée (Boiron or Ravifruit brand, common at pastry and specialty suppliers or online) is the practical, honest default in both regions. Bottled passion fruit juice or nectar, often sold as “Maracujasaft” in Germany, is a widely available and simpler alternative, though it’s slightly less intensely flavoured than fresh pulp.
Guava juice or nectar is available in both regions at Latin American grocers or well-stocked international supermarket aisles, with Jumex and Goya brands common. Fresh guava is essentially unobtainable outside the tropics, so nectar is the honest standard choice here, not a compromise.
Orange juice can be freshly squeezed or good bottled juice. Avoid juice from concentrate with added sugar if you want to control the drink’s sweetness yourself.