Miracle Sangria

Image courtesy VintageHolidayCrafts.com

The thing about summer is that a person always has a ton of fruit laying around.   And if you are like me, you often have half bottles of various and sundry liqueurs, brandies, etc. taking up valuable space in the liquor cabinet.   That's why this sangria recipe is a miracle - it lets me use up that peach that might be past its prime, or the lime wedges left over from last night's vodka and tonic, or even lemon rinds that remain from making fresh squeezed lemonade.   Whatever you have on hand, use it!

Here's the basic recipe - feel free to switch things up to use up what you have on hand.  I had a half bottle of raspberry liqueur left over from some long forgotten cocktail project that had an inch of dust on the cap.  Substitute the brandy for whatever fruity thing you might have kicking around in your stash - I'd stay away from anything too off the beaten path (i.e. the banana liqueur I bought to make Bananas Foster probably wouldn't be a good choice).  And substitute the citrus and apple with whatever you have that needs using up - apricots, peaches, melon, etc. will all work just fine.  I mix mine up in a half gallon canning jar - it would be a great cocktail to bring along in the camping cooler for my next camping trip.     I like to stretch my sangria (and reduce my calorie count) by drinking a half a glass and topping it off with a splash of club soda.

Miracle Sangria

1/2 c orange juice (or whatever other kind of juice is languishing in the fridge)
1/2 c brandy
1 bottle dry fruity red wine (I like tempranillo or garnacha for sangria)
1 c club soda
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
1 apple, cored and sliced

Mix everything together in a large pitcher - a half gallon canning jar is perfect!  Serve in tall glasses over tons of ice.  It's the perfect drink for summer...and here is the perfect summer song: