DIY: Sangrias

 I love hosting any sort of gathering.  Not only is it an excuse to buy new stuff, but it's also fun to create  recipes.  This past Sunday I hosted the drink portion of a Family Brunch Crawl.  I spiced up the typical brunch beverage list by adding sangrias along with the traditional mimosa. It's a simple drink to make and a great way to enjoy the last bits of Summer's fresh fruits. For my recipe, I used a five-liter pitcher for the large group I was hosting.

To start:  I chose to do white and red versions. My white was a mixed-berry sangria.  I bought fresh raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.  First, I put three liters of white wine into the pitcher, and one liter of sparking berry flavored water.  Remember, to leave some room for the fruit, which I put in last.  I added the fruit until the pitcher was at capacity. Give it a stir for about a minute. Before serving,  let it sit for about an hour to allow the fruit flavors to infuse throughout.

The red was a more of a classic sangria.  I used oranges and apples as the fruit ingredients.  Again, I added three liters of red wine (I used a Cabernet) and one liter of Diet 7up. Leaving room at the top, I then added my fruit, stirred it for about a minute, and then let it sit for about an hour before serving.

If you have extra fruit, like I did, cut them up into bite sizes for people to put into their drinks.  

Cheers!

fox + gypsy