Sangria
I made this Sangria for a girls’ get-together recently and it was a total hit. It’s a good thing I made a double batch because there wasn’t a drop to spare. If you ask me how it stands out from other sangria I’d tell you it’s the blackberry brandy and the ginger ale. Both give it a deeper richer taste as opposed to using regular brandy and club soda. When people leave your house asking for the recipe you know it was delish. A couple things about Sangria, you can really play around with the fruit. I went pretty traditional with the lemon, lime, and orange but you can simply use strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and even apples. Whatever needs to be used up in your kitchen works. And you don’t have to splurge on expensive wine. The cheap stuff works great. I like using a Cabernet Sauvignon but any dry red wine will do. I also encourage you to use regular ginger ale and not diet. Diet will give it a completely different after taste. Some would ask, do I have to refrigerate it overnight? Yes, if you want the fruit to infuse the wine and sweeten up the drink, refrigerating overnight is best. Plus, who doesn’t love drunken fruit?! But if you’re in a rush, in the very least let it sit for at least two hours. So next time you’re entertaining get your pitcher out, clear out your fruit drawer, mix everything else together, and get your sangria on!
Recipe for Sangria:
Ingredients:
½ cup Hiram Walker blackberry brandy
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup Country Time lemonade
⅓ cup orange juice
1 (750 milliliter) bottle Barefoot Cabernet Sauvignon (or any cheap cab)
½ cup triple sec
¼ cup sugar
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
3/4 cup strawberries, pitted and sliced
3/4 cup blueberries
2 cups Seagram’s ginger ale (regular, no diet)
Directions:
In a large pitcher mix the brandy, lemon juice, lemonade, orange juice, cabernet sauvignon, triple sec, and sugar. Add all the fruit into the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. Add the ginger ale just before serving. Mix well.
