Summertime. Hot weather. Sunny days. Blue skies. Relaxing with friends. Fresh, juicy fruits. Sitting by the water. Sipping chilled drinks. And do I have one of the best chilled drinks for you. The classic sangria. You can whip it up by the pitcher or by the cooler, depending on how big your crowd is. Sit out glasses and an ice bucket, as well as a ladle for the fruit, and you’ve got a self-serve cocktail that packs enough of a punch to enjoy, but not so much that your friends will be teeter-tottering into the pool.

The wonderful thing about sangria is there are so many options, and you can make do with whatever you have on hand. Red, white, rosé, sparkling – all make a wonderful sangria. Pick your fruit, pick your juice, pick your liqueur, and pick your soda. Balance it out with a little pre-punchbowl taste test, adding a bit more of this or that to bring a harmony to the flavors – not too sweet, not too fruity, not too alcoholic, but Goldilock’s-approved ‘just right’.

This Goldilock’s has already found her ‘just right’ however for the classic red wine sangria, so she shall share her secrets with you forthwith. (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Gluten free, Spanish, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

Actually, a couple of years in the making. Two years ago, while peeling a bunch of apples for this meal, I decided I certainly couldn’t waste all of the peel. I happened to have a full bottle of Stoli vodka, so I decided to drop the peels into an empty bottle, cover them with vodka, and let it sit for a couple of months.

A couple of months came and went (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Gluten free, Prep for Later Use, Vegan, Vegetarian by Courtney

Earlier this week I suggested the perfect drink to go with the Grilled Chicken Wings was a Manhattan. It’s not often that I suggest a cocktail pair with food, as I generally prefer my cocktails to be a before- or after-dinner drink. However, the first time I made the chicken wings, I happened to be drinking a Manhattan, and this yummy pairing was born.

Brown drinks aren’t my typical summer sippers, but when I made a batch of brandied cherries a while back, I started searching for cocktails to use them in. I didn’t have to look far, because once I had this drink, I was hooked. My cherries disappeared in no time. (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Vegetarian by Courtney