Guys we’re almost there! With Memorial Day weekend coming up it’s time to get your stockpile of summer recipes—for both food and cocktails—ready to go. You know the ones that are so easy to throw together and are chock full of gorgeous summer produce. That way you can easily whip them up when friends drop in. Nothing is better than cocktails in one big batch, it’s so much less work. That’s why I love Bobby Flay’s sangria recipe. It can be made ahead and customized to your tastes. I’ll definitely have a pitcher of this at the ready all summer long.
Sangria is a forgiving cocktail, so don’t just adhere to the fruit that the recipe calls for. I like that this recipe doesn’t have too much produce. When there’s a lot you end up eating your cocktail instead of drinking it. Swap in some ripe nectarines, peaches, blackberries or whatever is looking best at the farmer’s market.
There’s an interesting blend of juice and alcohol here too. The combination of brandy, Triple Sec and wine really rounds out the flavor, instead of leaving you with that overly sweet taste that sometimes happens with sangria.
Speaking of forgiving, you don’t need to splurge on an expensive bottle of wine either. Just grab the cheapest fruit-y variety. Because this version has pomegranate juice in it and all of the cut fruit be sure to taste test as you add the simple syrup. While this recipe is conservative compared to some others, it’s still nice to customize the flavor and sweetness to your own liking.
While it says you can serve after four hours, it’s nice if you let it sit overnight. So if you have a bbq coming up, make it the day before and let it all sit together. Garnish with fresh fruit or those cute little umbrellas. Enjoy!
And drink responsibly, this drink is very strong and can be deceiving since you can’t taste the alcohol as much as you can with others.
