Aren't we of the-drinking-age sort of predisposed to love sangria? Is it just me and everyone I know? I mean, it's pretty much just boozy punch. Who doesn't like punch with a buzz?
Sangria is a summertime ritual of mine and I cannot imagine that ever going away. If I don't make it myself, I order it anywhere with a big sign denoting it as a summer special...I've come to a place of knowing what I do and don't like in my grown-up punch:
DO: Add juice to help naturally sweeten. DON'T: Add syrups that makes it taste like a Jolly Ranger.
DO: Make it taste more like wine. DON'T: Make it taste so boozy that I feel hungover before finishing it.
DO: Include lots of bite size edible fruit. DON'T: Include inedible (citrus rinds) pieces of fruit that are *just* large enough to make me look like a fool.
I love the flavor a little bit of vanilla extract and a dash of cinnamon give this. Watch your hand with the cinnamon or it'll taste like Christmas.
This is also great with other types of stone fruit: nectarines! apricots! pluots! They all work.
INGREDIENTS: (makes 12 cups w/out ice)
- 2 tbsp. simple syrup (add more if you prefer it sweeter)
- 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine (light or medium bodied)
- ¼ cup brandy
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups cherries
- 2 peaches
- 2 plums
- 1 liter club soda
Prep:
-To make the simple syrup, heat ¼ cup of sugar with ¼ cup of water on the stovetop until fully dissolve.
-Stem, pit and cut the cherries in half. Cut peaches and plums into bite size slices.
Finish:
-In a pitcher, mix the simple syrup, red wine, brandy, orange juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cherries, peaches and plums.
-Top with club soda and enough ice to make mixture cold.
Note: This recipe is very flexible- feel free to substitute white or rosé wine and other types of stone fruit.
