I love the concept of Sangria. Use up some leftover or not-so-good wine, add some fruit, maybe drizzle in some liqueur if you really want to spice things up and boom! – a batched drink for a crowd that’s easy and cheap as hell. (Hello0o00 Labor Day weekend!) I used a combination of red wine, cranberry juice and citrus for this casual get together at a friend‘s new backyard, but feel free to mix up your wine-and-fruit pairing to suit both your tastes and seasonal produce availability.

(Recipe somewhat adapted from the infusion & cocktail recipe book, Infused. See my review and a sneak-peek here.)

Ingredients:

• one 1.5L or two 750 mL bottles red wine. I used Barefoot Pinot Noir.
• one 1L bottle good quality, no-sugar-added cranberry juice. I like Trader Joe’s brand.
• 1 cup orange liqueur. I’m a big fan of Leopold Brothers’ American Orange Liqueur. It’s not too sweet and gives a great kick of true orange flavor but Cointreau or Grand Marnier would of course do the trick as well.
• 2 apples, sliced
• 2 oranges, sliced
• 1 grapefruit, sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 bottle sparkling water, optional

Directions:

1.  Combine wine, juice, fruit and liqueur in a large pitcher or drink dispenser
2.  Stir gently and let sit in the fridge for 2 hours or up to overnight
3. Add sparkling water, if desired, right before serving

{ BB&B Mason Jars (similar) & Drink Dispenser }

Extras:

• If left sitting over night, I would recommend replacing soaked fruit with fresh for aesthetic purposes. Plus, the best part of drinking Sangria is eating the fruit and let’s be honest, no one wants a mushy slice of apple!
• On the (exceptionally) rare occasion I actually have left over wine, I like to freeze it in ice cube trays and use it in place of ice when serving to guests. This prevents watered-down sangria and helps keep the drink colder longer. Win-win!

P.S. A few other Sangria combinations I’m into for late summer or fall gatherings…

• Pinot Grigio + Peaches + Basil
• Rosé + Melon + Mint
• Grenache + Red Berries + Concord Grapes

What’s your favorite Sangria recipe? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks to Megan Burgess for both the photos and your gorgeous new outdoor entertaining space!

The post Late Summer Sangria appeared first on Distillerista.