Summertime Sangria

This sangria is the perfect drink for summer parties. Featuring sweet Lambrusco, fresh fruit and a splash of lemonade, it’s deliciously sweet and makes enough for a crowd. You can serve it immediately, but it tastes best when it’s made the night before. 

Cheers to the long weekend! What are your Memorial Day plans, friends? We’re heading to Illinois to spend some time with family. All that’s on our agenda is spending a lot of time outside grilling, biking and swimming. That’s what holiday weekends are meant for, right?

Anytime there’s a summer gathering, my mom and I whip up a batch of this sangria. She got the recipe from a bartender when my parents were in Spain several years ago and it’s been our go-to summer drink ever since. It’s not overly sweet, which is my big complaint with most sangria. I’ve found this is a recipe that both wine lovers and people who aren’t huge wine fans enjoy.

I like to make this the night before a party so the fruit has time to soak, allowing its flavors to really come through. We served a pitcher during a casual get together on our porch last night and there wasn’t a single drop left!

I will warn you, slip this sangria slowly. It’s so good that you’ll want to have a few glasses, but it will sneak up on you. And there’s nothing worse than starting the work week with a killer headache from a little too much indulging.

Stay safe and enjoy the extra day off!

Summertime Sangria

[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]

• 1 1.5 Liter bottle of Lambrusco, chilled
• 4 oz. light lemonade
• 1 oz. Cognac
• 2 oz. Cointreau
• 2 oz. Gin
• 2 Tbsp. sugar (optional)
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 1 orange, sliced
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1 nectarine, sliced
• 1/4 cup strawberries, sliced

[/ingredients]

[directions title=”Directions”]

1. Combine Lambrusco, lemonade, Cognac, Cointreau, Gin and sugar in a large pitcher. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
2. Carefully pour fruit into the pitcher and stir until it’s submerged in the sangria. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.

[/directions]