SANGRIAS

Sangria is a traditional Spanish drink that’s perfect for summer parties. The basic Sangria recipe is a mix of wine, soda, fruit and sometimes juice or brandy. 

Basic Sangria Recipe
1 bottle of red wine
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Cups ginger ale or club soda
1 Shot brandy

Pour wine into the pitcher. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and orange wedges into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

To serve right away, use chilled red wine, fruit and soda and serve over lots of ice.
Variations:
Add seasonal fruits such as sliced strawberries, diced peaches, kiwi slices, ½ C fresh blueberries or raspberries, pomegranate juice.
Replace brandy with gin or rum.
Replace ginger ale with citrus soda or fresh squeezed lime juice.!

Although sangria traditionally uses red wine, white wine sangria is just as tasty and refreshing.
White Sangria
1 bottle of Sauvnignon Blanc
¼ C superfine sugar
1 C white grape juice
1 ripe nectarine, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1 tangerine, thinly sliced
1 C seedless white grapes, halved
1 C club soda

In a large pitcher, combine the wine and sugar and stir. Be sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the fruit and mix well. Place in the refrigerator and let the sangria sit for 1-4 hours. Just before serving, stir in the club soda and ice cubes.


1 bottle red wine
1 Lemon cut into wedges
1 Orange cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Cups ginger ale or club soda
1 Shot brandy

Pour wine into the pitcher. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and orange wedges into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

To serve right away, use chilled red wine, fruit and soda and serve over lots of ice.

Use Crown Valley Blackberry wine or Crown Valley Redbird.
Add seasonal fruits such as sliced strawberries, diced peaches, kiwi slices, ½ C fresh blueberries or raspberries, pomegranate juice.
Replace brandy with gin or rum.
Replace ginger ale with citrus soda or fresh squeezed lime juice.


Image – GimmeSomeOven.com

For an extra kick, the writers at GimmeSomeOven.com recommend adding fresh arugala.

I imagine you could probably just stir it into the sangria and let it sit with the fruit for a few hours. But what Dole did, and I what I totally recommend, is to muddle it (I just did so with a spoon) along with the fruit to release extra flavor.

The result? A fruity sangria made all the more wonderful with a subtle peppery kick of arugula flavoring each sip. In my opinion, it was the perfect balance, and it also made for a beautiful colorful appearance!

Although sangria traditionally uses red wine, white wine sangria is just as tasty and refreshing.
White Sangria
1 bottle of Crown Valley Sauvignon Blanc
¼ C superfine sugar
1 C white grape juice
1 ripe nectarine, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1 tangerine, thinly sliced
1 C seedless white grapes, halved
1 C club soda

In a large pitcher, combine the wine and sugar and stir. Be sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the fruit and mix well. Place in the refrigerator and let the sangria sit for 1-4 hours. Just before serving, stir in the club soda and ice cubes.



Image – Laylito.com
Variations:
Use Crown Valley Peach wine instead of Sauvignon Blanc
Replace club soda with Ozark Mountain Lemonade
Add kiwi slices, lime wedges.

Laylita.com has a Citrus Moscato Sangria recipe that includes grapefruit and kumquats.

GINGER BEER

GINGER BEER
Makes 1 (22-ounce) bottle

Note: It’s crucial to use a bottle that can be sealed tightly. If the seal is loose, the final product will be flat. Also, make sure to fill the bottle to the top with liquid; if there is too much air in the bottle, the ginger beer will not be sufficiently carbonated. 

4 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup lemon juice form 2 lemons
Pinch champagne yeast

Place ginger in fine mesh strainer set over medium bowl, and press with wooden spoon to extract 2 tablespoons juice; discard ginger pulp. Heat sugar and water in small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

Pour ginger juice, sugar syrup, and lemon juice into 22-ounce bottle. Add 1 pinch (about 25 crystals) yeast to bottle. Fill bottle to top with lukewarm water.

Cork or cap bottle tightly. Shake well to combine ingredients. Store bottle in warm, dark place for 48 hours then refrigerate immediately. Serve when cold.

PEACH TEA

PEACH TEA

SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup organic cane sugar
1 cup water
2 ripe peaches, thinly sliced + more for serving


TEA
2-3 Tbsp loose leaf black tea (3-4 tea bags), depending on how strong you prefer it
8 cups filtered water



InstructionsBring sugar, water and peaches to a boil in a small saucepan. Then lower heat and use a wooden spoon to stir and crush the peaches to infuse the flavor.Once the sugar is dissolved, cover, remove from heat and let steep for for 25-30 minutes.In the meantime, brew your tea using either a large pot or a tea maker. NOTE: Use less tea if you prefer it weaker, or more tea if you prefer it stronger, and try not to let it steep longer than 4-5 minutes or it can get bitter.Once brewed, remove tea bags or strain out loose leaf tea and transfer to a pitcher. Refrigerate to cool.Once your simple syrup is finished, pour into a bottle or container over a fine mesh strainer to strain out peaches. You can reserve the peaches for later use, such as to place over oats or ice cream sundaes.To serve, either set out simple syrup and add as much to the tea as you like, or add all of the simple syrup to the tea and stir. I prefer leaving it separate. Serve tea over ice and fresh sliced peaches. Yields about 10 servings (with ice and peaches).

GAZPACHO SHOOTERS

Gazacho Shooters
12 servings

2½ cups tomato juice, divided
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno chile
1 cup peeled and finely chopped English cucumber
½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
Handful of cilantro leaves

Using a food processor, puree 1 cup tomato juice, garlic and jalapeno chile.

Transfer to a large bowl; add remaining tomato juice, cucumber, pepper and a handful of cilantro leaves. Serve chilled in twelve 2-ounce shot glasses, topped with additional cilantro leaves.

CUCUMBER LEMONADE

Cucumber Lemonade

1 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cucumber, sliced
6 lemons, juiced

Make a simple syrup by stirring the water and sugar together in a saucepan over medium heat; heat until just about to boil and the sugar has dissolved. Place in refrigerator 30 minutes, or until cool.

Place the cucumber slices in a blender or food processor; blend until mashed into a pulp. Pour the cucumber pulp into a fine mesh strainer place over a bowl to catch the liquid; allow to sit until you have about 2/3 cup of liquid from the cucumber, about 15 minutes.

Stir the simple syrup, cucumber liquid, and lemon juice together in a pitcher. Serve cold.

ORANGE WINE

Orange Wine

2 cups white rum

Juice and rinds of 10 oranges

1 cup sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

2 whole cloves

5 whole allspice berries

Pinch of ground anise

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients in a large glass jar. Cover and let sit for 2 days. The jar should be shaken several times during the 2 days.

Strain through a colander or sieve and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes about 5 cups.

FRENCH '75's

• FRENCH '75's
• 
  
• 1 ounce brandy
• 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1 ounce simple syrup
• Chilled champagne
• Fresh strawberries
• 
  
• Place all ingredients in a stemmed champagne glass.  Stir and top with chilled champagne.  Center with fresh strawberry.

WHITE SANGRIA

WHITE SANGRIA

1/2 gallon white wine, chablis is excellent

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup orange juice

2/3 cup sugar

2 ounces vodka

slices of orange or lemon

wedges of apple

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and chill. Float slices of orange and lemon and wedges of apple in the bowl.  Note:  best made day before.  Adjust amount of sugar to suit your taste.  Any white or red wine or combination of the two may be used.  Serves 6.

COFFEE NOG

Coffee Nog
Makes one gallon

4 cups strong hot coffee
2 quarts vanilla ice cream
4 cups good bourbon
1 cup Myers dark rum

Pour coffee over ice cream to melt it.

NEW ORLEANS EGGNOG

New Orleans Eggnog

Louisiana has always had a great affection for rum, and rum makes a  Christmas punch for old New Orleans festivals and celebrations. This eggnog serves about 10 guests, but the recipe can be cut in half or even quartered. Just don’t make it too far ahead.

12 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
½ cup Myers’ Jamaican Dark Rum
2 ½ cups best-quality bourbon (Maker’s Mark)
3 cups whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 to 1 ½ cups whipping cream, whipped
Nutmeg for serving

Combine the egg yolks with ½ cup of the sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy and thick. Add the rum and bourbon and beat thoroughly. Add the cream and milk and beat again. Beat the egg whites until they hold a soft peak. Gradually add the remaining yolk mixture. Chill thoroughly until serving time. Put the eggnog into a chilled punch bowl and gently fold in the whipped cream. Grate nutmeg over the top and serve. Makes about 30 small cups. 
                                                                                  If you make the eggnog ahead, it will liquify-and that’s a very poor eggnog. Southern eggnog is rich and thick, so serve it soon after it is mixed.