Don’t Judge Me Mondays: Sangria

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3-day weekend! Did I mention I love getting together with friends? In honor of that, I’ve chosen to share a drink recipe that is good for a group and great for parties!  The best part is that it can sit in the pitcher ready to serve  for a few hours, so you can make it all ahead.

When choosing a red wine for sangria,  there are 3 things to consider:

1. Choose a wine that won’t break the bank.  Since it’s going to be mixed with something, you don’t want to spend loads of money on it.
2. Choose a wine that tastes good enough to drink on its own.  Just because we’re using a cheap wine, doesn’t mean it has to be gross 🙂 You’ll have half a bottle left after this recipe, so it might as well be something you’ll want to drink tomorrow.
3. The wine should be a darker red like a red blend, Merlot, or Cabernet Sauvignon.

 

With those guidelines in mind, I went with the Ménage a Trois Red Blend.  It’s a reliable wine that can be found at most stores and is about $10/bottle.   That works for me!

Let’s make Sangria!

At least 2 hours before you’re going to serve the Sangria, wash and dry the grapes.  Put them in a freezer bag and lay them flat in the freezer.  These are going to be our “ice cubes” later.

Mix some orange juice and brown sugar together and set aside.  We want to give the brown sugar time to dissolve.

Cut an orange in half and then slice into half moons.  Slice a lime or lemon. I used limes because that’s what we already had, but either will work.  They are just there to add some color to the pitcher. Put the citrus slices in the bottom of a see-through pitcher.

You’ll notice the pitcher I used is clear with a design on it- that’s fine.  We just want something that we can partially see the pretty fruit through.  You’ll want a pitcher that holds 2 bottles of wine comfortably.  That will ensure you have room for the wine and the rest of the ingredients, with extra room to stir it without spilling it everywhere (I’m a slob by nature, so I know about these things, he he).

Now you just add everything else to the pitcher.  Pour in your wine, O.J./Brown Sugar mixture, and brandy.  Stir to combine.  Let it chill at least an hour in the fridge before serving and you can keep it in the fridge up to 3 hours before serving.

Right before serving, take some grapes out of the freezer.  Add 1 cup to the pitcher.  Put 8 or so frozen grapes in each glass, depending on the size of the glass (you don’t want them taking more than 1/4 of space in the glass).  This will help keep the Sangria cold in the glasses.

Pour in the glasses and serve.  This recipe will make about 8 glasses, again depending on the size of the glass.

Put your pinky up and enjoy!