White Sangria

Watching the Food Network on the weekend can be dangerous. It gives me too many ideas. Saturday, before everyone woke up, I was watching Big Daddy (Aaron McCargo, Jr.) and lo and behold I had to do some rewinding.  He put together a white sangria that had me drooling. He mentioned Orange Liqueur. You know I love all things orange, so I had pad and pen in hand and ready to take notes. Since I'm not a morning person, it didn't sink in until later that I could have just looked it up on the internet. That came to me about one cup of coffee later.

Andy and I received this drink dispenser from Terry and Vicky when we got married back in the fall and I believe it will be the perfect vessel to be floating some fruit in come Monday! I'll be sure to post some action pics and update the post with any variations when we get back.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bottle good quality fruity white wine, like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur
• 1 medium peach, washed, pitted and sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 1 cup green grapes, sliced
• Ice
• 1 liter soda water, for serving

In a large pitcher, mix the white wine and orange liqueur. Add the peaches, strawberries, orange slices and grapes. Stir all to combine. Refrigerate, about 20 minutes. Serve over ice with a splash of soda water.


UPDATE:

When I took a count of who would be showing up to help me drink Sangria on Memorial Day, I realized there was no need to bring the 3 gallon drink dispenser to the river.  I opted for the 1 gallon glass jar I keep hidden under the counter for these occasions. It was hot, hot, hot and several of the people coming didn't drink alcohol at all or went for beer.


I used Flipflop Moscato (750ml) and Triple Sec. This combination wasn't excessively sweet; for me it was just right. If you like a really sweet drink, just go with the recommended wine. We had record temperatures this weekend and this drink was really light, cool and refreshing. I'll be doing it again!


Source: Big Daddy