Summer Sangria
Summer time calls for patio drinks! I love a great sangria any time of the year but it feels even more necessary during the summer (especially if you’re taking summer classes like I am!). Now there’s a bunch of sangria recipes out there but here’s what my girlfriends and I love to do for a girls night in!
What you need:
- 1 bottle of wine (traditionally red but take a risk and do white!)
- approx 1 cup (250ml) of orange juice
- approx 1/2 cup (125ml) of club soda
- 1 medium sized orange
- a handful of berries (I like strawberries but blackberries work too!)
- ice but not too much!
- a splash of lemon juice (optional)
We usually start off with the pitcher a quarter full of ice, pour in the wine and orange juice, add in the fruits and then top it off with the club soda to help get it to our desired strength. The lemon juice helps take the edge of the liquor like in any mixed alcohol drink! If you put in too much club soda, a dash of sugar will quickly reverse that, or else just let the fruit sit for a bit.
I prefer the orange cut into thin slices but you can also cut them into small wedges. If you’re using strawberries, either halve or quarter them; smaller berries are fine as is.
Another thing I’ve learned through the years from my bartender friend is to put the fruit in first, mush them up to create a bit of a puree and then add in the liquids. Really, you can’t go wrong with sangria!
Cheers and enjoy!
