Cool off During the Summer Heat with some Sangria

It’s only April, yet it feel like it’s the middle of August. If you’re miserable like I am and you want to escape the heat, but can’t go anywhere far due to work or school, then create a beverage that will bring down the heat and have yourself an enjoyable day at home. When the temperature rises, I tend to drink a lot of water, but sometimes I need more than just a bottle of water. This is when I love a glass of cool refreshing sangria.

Sangria originated in Spain. Sangria is a mixture of wine, liqueur, citrus fruit, and soda. It’s also called zurra if you add peaches. To make sangria, you only need a few ingredients. Here is what you need:

Easy Sangria
Ingredients:
A tall pitcher
A 750ml bottle of red wine
2 cups of Club Soda
Half a cup of Triple Sec liquor
½ cup of sugar
2 large orange
2 lemons
1 Lime
A tray of ice cubs or 4 cups of store packaged ice
1 cup of Mendocino cherries (optional)
Wine selection suggestion: When choosing your wine, for sweetness, purchase a bottle of an affordable red wine, for example; Red Table Wine or Merlot, etc. Red wine can also be substituted with sparkling wine or white wine.

Mixture:
In the pitcher, pour the contents of the wine, Triple Sec, and club soda.
Then, cut the oranges in half and hand squeeze or use a juicer to extract the juice into the pitcher. Next, slice up the lemons and lime into slices and place into the pitcher. For added flavor and visual appeal, add Mendocino cocktail cherries. Add sugar and add ice and stir with a long wooden or plastic spoon, pour and enjoy. For better tasting results, place the pitcher in the refrigerator and let stand for 30-45 minutes to fuse the flavors.

This recipe is my own. You can be creative and try different fruits and/or different wines. Like a punch, this beverage goes with a wide assortment of dishes or enjoy as is, al la carte.