A New Twist On An Old Favorite

(Image courtesy of Jakkrit Nooklaew)

Spring is drawing to a close, but there's still time to enjoy the fresh tastes that come with the season! It seems that no matter what kind of gathering is going, a Sangria will fit the menu perfectly! Rather than sticking with the same old routine, give your tried-and-true Sangria recipe a little pick-me-up. Maureen Petrosky from thekitchn.com walks us through her favorite spring Sangria recipe. If you're ready for something delicious and easy to make, keep reading.

When making sangria, you need four things: wine, a spirit, usually sugar, and fruit. I chose to use limoncello as my spirit in this sangria; this liqueur is already plenty sweet, so I skipped using any additional sugar.

The sparkling rosé, while it's semi-dry, isn't nearly as sweet as those pink wines labelled white zinfandel or blush. Rosé champagne is elegant, with incredible bubbles and great structure. What's great structure? Well it's a beginning, a middle and an end that can hold their own when paired with all sorts of food and in this case, fruits for our Sangria.

This pitcher of sangria is perfect for brunch or enjoying happy hour tonight on your porch. With very little effort you'll have a gorgeous drink to sip that is equally as delicious to kick off your weekend.

Spring Sangria

Serves 6

3/4 cup limoncello
1 cup fresh raspberries
1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries
1 bottle chilled demi-sec rosé champagne
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds discarded

In a large pitcher, combine the limoncello and the strawberries. Top with the chilled rosé champagne and stir in half of the lemon wheels.

Pour the sangria into ice filled stemware. Scoop some fruit into each glass and garnish with a lemon wheel.

Recipe Notes
You can also make this with a non-sparkling dry rosé wine.