Sangria, por favor.

I love wine.

I’m a fan of happy hour. You’ve seen me celebrate with all sorts of cocktails- honey-ginger rosemary lemonade spiked with bourbon, a ginger mint muddled raspberry prosecco cooler, bubbly of any kind– I even made mojito popsicles last week!

But truthfully, 90% of the time my drink of choice is a (big) glass of wine. I’m not really picky, either. White, red, pink…if you’re pouring, I’m drinking!

(Except for oaky, buttery Chardonnay. Can’t do it.)

When it came time to plan our Summer Fiesta, I brainstormed ideas for a fun cocktail (for a rather large crowd). With the date of the party shaping up to be the hottest day of the summer, I wanted something refreshing, too. We’d already decided on a taco bar, and seemed to be trending toward a Latin theme… sangria sounded perfect!

For a wino like myself, it’s maybe surprising that I’d never made sangria before. Sangria is basically a red wine punch with fruit in it. Sometimes it has other types of alcohol in it. You can also make a white wine sangria, called sangria blanca. I couldn’t decide, so I made both. The recipes were a piece of cake- and the results were delicious! 

The red wine recipe I selected included brandy and Triple Sec in addition to the wine, as well as juice and lots of fruit. I doubled the recipe for this party. Let’s start with the good stuff, shall we?

I opened two magnum bottles of red Spanish table wine and poured the wine right into this cute beverage dispenser (I found it at Target).

Next came the brandy, then the Triple Sec. It seems like a lot of alcohol when you use a Pyrex measuring cup, but I reminded myself that I had a lot of thirsty friends coming over!

I got some simple syrup started on the stove, just equal parts sugar and water heated until the sugar dissolved. Then I moved on to the juices– orange and pomegranate!

For the fruit, I sliced up two big oranges and a few shiny red apples. Into the drink dispenser they went! I added a bunch of blackberries, too. It’s all about the fruit.

All that was left was the simple syrup, so when it was cooled, I poured it in and gave the sangria a good stir. That’s it! I put it in the fridge overnight to get fruity and scrumptious.

The hardest part of this recipe is waiting 24 hours to drink it!

And the sangria blanca? EVEN EASIER!

First, the vino– two big bottles of Pinot Grigio, which is crisp and light and perfect for summer.

Next, I added pineapple juice and also some apple juice. Fruity!

I sliced up a few apples and cut a whole bunch of grapes in half. I stirred the fruit and juices into the wine and checked my recipe… I was done. How easy is that?

Full disclosure- right before the party, I poured in another half bottle of white wine to fill the dispenser up. The sangrias hung out in the fridge, staying cool, until it was time to start sipping!

The sangrias were a huge hit. Even my neighbor, who is from Chile, couldn’t stop raving about them! I think next time, I’ll have a plate of fresh fruit next to the dispensers for a tasty garnish. Yum!

You should totally make one of these for your Fourth of July party.

Or both. Why choose?

Salud! (clink)

Red Wine Sangria (Bobby Flay)

You’ll need:

• 2 bottles red Spanish table wine
• 1 cup brandy
• ½ cup triple sec
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup pomegranate juice
• ½ cup simple syrup
• Orange slices
• Apple slices
• Blackberries

Mix all ingredients together and let stand in a tightly sealed container or pitcher for at least 24 hours in the fridge before serving. YUM.

White Wine Sangria (The DeNicolo Family Blog)

You’ll need:

• 2 bottles of Pinot Grigio or other fruity white wine
• ½ pound halved seedless green grapes
• 2 sliced red delicious apples
• 2 cups apple juice
• One cup pineapple juice

Combine all ingredients and let sit for at least one hour before serving. YUM.

**Check out the FOOD BLISS link above for a list of recipes. Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest!**