Summer Wine and Sangria

One of the tricks to being a good host is making sure that all of your guests are having a good time while simultaneously looking like you are enjoying yourself. In other words, don’t let them see you sweat! On a hot summer afternoon or evening, a party featuring well-crafted libations is a special treat for all involved, but the last item on any party-giver’s to-do list is getting stuck behind the bar mixing drink after drink.

As our friend Kara Newman points out in her latest book Cocktails for a Crowd, a batch of ready-made drinks in a punchbowl or pitcher is a win-win for all concerned. Your friends will be thrilled to sip a refreshing prepared cooler, and you will earn accolades for your entertaining acumen.

Cocktails for a Crowd features more than 40 large-format drinks that are perfect for starting the party or keeping it going. One standout with a little Latin flair is the Rosemary Refresher which uses aged tequila and rosemary, an herb that figures heavily in Spanish cuisine. If rum is more your style, you can mix up a pitcher of Kara’s Raspberry Mojitos, a fresh, fruity take on the minty Caribbean classic. 

We spend a lot of time on the beaches of the Costa del Sol, Spain, and when the sun beats down in the middle of the day drinking your wine straight up is nothing but a one-way trip to dehydration. We order ice-cold pitchers of sangria or Tinto Verano, a blend of red wine and lemon soda that is an invigorating way to beat the heat. The addition of fruit juice, simple syrup, or soda to red wine is a nice way to keep the alcohol content down while serving up a delicious drink. Sangria usually has some chopped fruit mixed in, and we know that everybody loves to pick out the wine-and-sugar-soaked fruit and munch on it once the glass is otherwise empty. Make sure to have pre-measured backup ingredients on hand: Sangria goes fast!

Next, three crowd pleasing cocktails…

Raspberry Mojitos 

Rosemary Refresher 

 

Get the full recipe. 

 

 

 

Sangria 43 

 

• 9 ounces Licor 43
• 6 ounces red wine
• 6 ounces fresh lemon juice
• 6 ounces fresh orange juice
• 6 dashes bitters
• 1 orange, Sliced
• 1 apple, sliced
• 1 cup red or green grapes

Get the full recipe.

If you have been to Spain, you are surely familiar with Licor 43 (Quarenta y Tres), a delectable caramel-flavored liqueur, usually served after dinner, that is the country’s national drink. A fun way to serve it is blended into a pitcher of Sangria 43 where the red wine and bitters take the sweetness down a notch so you can drink it alongside food. Across the Pyrenees, the French have been starting off meals with Lillet since 1872. Lillet Rouge, the red version, made its debut in 1962, and is enjoyed over ice with an orange slice. You can add some Spanish style to your aperitif by putting together a pitcher of Lillet Rouge Sangria. 

When party time rolls around, who doesn’t love bubbles? California’s Chandon makes sparkling wine using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and if you think that summertime equals rosé time, then you will certainly agree that summer evenings are made for Chandon Sunset Punch. Its coral color is reminiscent of an August sunset, and agave syrup lends a little south of the border panache.

If you are holding your party in a park or on the beach—or you are just plain pressed for time—consider a high-quality pre-mixed sangria. While we usually don’t recommend bottled concoctions, we have recently come across some sangrias that are as tasty as they are easy to open and pour. Eppa SupraFruta Sangria is made with wine from Mendocino, California mixed with pomegranate and other fruit juices, and it is organic to boot. We are also fans of Señor Sangria, also made with premium wine and fruit juice, which comes in both red and white versions. As a gracious host, you are still going to fill a bowl or pitcher with ice and fruit (try green grapes and sliced peaches with the white version) and then add the sangria, but when your friends ask for the recipe you can proudly show off the bottle!

Here, two more recipes to help you start your party…

Lillet Rouge Sangria

• 1 bottle (750 ml) Lillet Rouge
• 1 apple, diced
• 1 cup green grapes
• 1 orange, peeled and sectioned
• 1 cup lemon-lime soda
• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Get the full recipe. 

Chandon Sunset Punch

• 1 tablespoon agave syrup
• 2 cups orang ejuice
• 1 (750 ml) bottle of Chandon Rosé 
• 1 lime, thinly sliced

Get the full recipe.