sangria

While I love to be adventurous with what I cook and eat, I’m really boring when it comes to my beverages of choice.  I pretty much stick to 2 main things when I’m in the mood for a drink: wine or beer.  I’ve never been into the “fun” liquor drinks that people order like Cosmopolitans or Margaritas (my college days might have something to do with my aversion), so when I found myself eyeing a recipe for sangria awhile back, I was a little surprised.  ”Hmm…” I thought to myself.  ”This sangria drink has wine in it…and fruit.  I could get into that.”  


I ended up making it for the 4th of July weekend, and it was a tasty addition to the fajitas we had for dinner one night.  I liked that it didn’t have a strong alcohol taste to it and there was a slight wine undertone among the fruitiness.  Another thing I liked was that it wasn’t too sweet.  I think a lot of cocktails are too sweet, and that’s what steers me away from them, so this was a good compromise.  It was definitely a nice change from my typical boring cocktails and a fun and festive drink for the weekend!  

Sangria
slightly adapted from allrecipes.com


1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used fresh lemons)
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate (not diluted, just the pure concentrate)
1/3 cup orange juice
1 (750 mL) bottle of red wine (I used a merlot)
1/2 cup Triple Sec
1 lemon, cut into rounds
1 lime, cut into rounds
1 orange, cut into rounds
1 can Fresca (could also use Sprite or carbonated water, but add 1/4 cup sugar if using carbonated water)


Directions:


In large pitcher or bowl, mix together brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, wine, and triple sec.  Add slices of lemon, lime, and oranges and let mixture sit overnight.  


Before serving, add can of Fresca.

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