White Sangria With Mango

This beautiful, pale sangria comes from Special Occasions, one of the titles in The Best of Martha Stewart Living collection.  Martha thinks this is the perfect drink for a beach picnic and I couldn't agree more.  Her sangria is made with ginger ale and mango - a nice twist on the usual club soda and citrus.

WHITE SANGRIA WITH MANGO

1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur
1/2 cup cognac
1/4 cup sugar
4 oranges, thinly sliced
2 mangoes, peeled and thinly sliced
4 bottles dry white wine, such as white Rioja
1 quart ginger ale

Combine first 5 ingredients in a pitcher; let sit for at least 1 hour.  Pour into a large bowl; add wine.  Add ginger ale just before serving.

Makes 1 gallon.

White Sangria With Kiwi

 





Another great recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook. This white Sangria is a gorgeous pale color, light and fruity. It's the perfect drink to serve at a spring luncheon.

WHITE SANGRIA WITH KIWI

1 bottle of dry white wine
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 large pear, sliced very thin
1 cup seedless green grapes
2 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 tablespoons Calvados or Armagnac
3 tablespoons Cointreau
1 1/2 cups bottled sparkling water
sprigs of mint or fresh flowers, for garnish

1. Pour the wine into a large glass pitcher. Add the kiwis, pear, grapes, sugar, Calvados, and Cointreau to the pitcher and stir. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 5 hours.

2. To serve, stir well, add the sparkling water, and pour over ice in tall glasses. Garnish with a sprig of mint or a flower.

6 portions

Summer Sangria

Back in December, I posted a recipe for a wonderful Winter Sangria, full of winter-seasonal fruits.  Here's that same recipe, reworked for the summer with the addition of tangy gin and fresh berries and stone fruits, perfect for cooling off in the summer.

SUMMER SANGRIA

1 bottle red wine, preferably burgundy
1 bottle white wine, preferably chablis
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup gin
1 cup Cointreau
10 strawberries, stemmed and sliced
2 peaches, pitted and sliced
1 orange, sliced

Combine wines, sugar, gin and Cointreau in large pitcher.  Stir gently until sugar dissolves.  Add fruit slices and stir gently.  Chill for at least 2 hours and serve cold.

Winter Sangria

This beautiful sangria combines red and white wine for a taste that is more about the fruit and less about the type of wine used.  Seasonal fruits make it perfect for the colder weather outside and there's no club soda to dilute this fruity wine.

WINTER SANGRIA

1 bottle red wine, preferably burgundy
1 bottle white wine, preferably chablis
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brandy
1 pear, with peel on, sliced in 1/8's with seeds and stem removed
1 apple, with peel on, sliced in 1/8's with seeds and stem removed
1 orange, sliced

Combine wines, sugar and brandy in large pitcher.  Stir gently until sugar dissolves.  Add fruit slices and stir gently.  Chill for at least 2 hours and serve cold.

Limoncello

Limoncello is not sangria but it is oh so good and just as easy to make. I have two Meyer lemon trees on my back porch in huge Italian looking pots and they are both covered in lemons that will be ripe and ready any day now. I plan on making plenty of limoncello using this recipe. Limoncello is a refreshing apertif but can also make a nice accompaniment to appetizers when mixed with a little club soda or champagne.

LIMONCELLO

2 pounds lemons
35 ounces good vodka
2 pounds sugar
4 cups water

Slice lemons. Place in large, glass, sealable container (like a large Mason jar). Add vodka and seal. Keep in a cool dark place, like a pantry, or in the refrigerator for at least 3 to 4 days. Once alcohol has been infused with lemon slices, removed the slices.

In a large bowl, mix sugar and water. Add infused alcohol to sugar mixture. Mix thoroughly. Decant into sealable glass bottles. Keep limoncello in refrigerator or freezer.

Serve in small shot glasses or over ice.

Spicy Sangria

Fragrant with cinnamon, allspice and cloves, this is the perfect sangria for a chilly day. While it requires a little more work than most (you actually have to use your microwave!), the payoff is a lovely drink with the subtle taste of autumn.

SPICY SANGRIA

1 1.5 liter bottle dry red wine
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons Triple Sec
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 whole cloves
3 whole allspice
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
2 cups club soda
1 orange, cut in wedges
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced

Combine 1/2 cup wine, brandy, Triple Sec and sugar in a large glass bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, until mixture is warm. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add remaining wine, fruit juices and spices. Chill at least 2 hours.

Strain mixture into a large pitcher, discarding spices. Just before serving, stir in club soda and fruit. Serve.

Autumn Sangria

November is here!  The weather has gotten so much cooler and a good Autumn Sangria recipe is in order.  Here's one I adapted from an Autumn Sangria recipe found on recipezaar.com.  It uses lots of dried fruits, perfect for the season.

AUTUMN SANGRIA

1 cup dried figs
1 cup dried plums (prunes)
1 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup molasses
1 bottle light red wine
1 bottle sparkling apple cider, chilled
1 orange, thinly sliced

1.  Halve, quarter or slice dried fruit.  In 3-quart glass pitcher, combine dried fruits and molasses.  Stir until well-combined.  Slowly pour in red wine.  Cover and chill for several hours to overnight.

2.  Add sparkling cider and orange slices to glass pitcher.  Stir gently.  Fill glasses with ice and add sangria.