SWEET SUMMER SANGRIA RECIPE

Hi all! 

Yesterday was my birthday!  I celebrated with good food, great company, and a delicious cocktail. ;)  (It was my birthday after all!)  Today I'm sharing this SWEET SUMMER SANGRIA RECIPE.  It's a great addition to your summer cocktail list without being too complicated!  Keep scrolling for the recipe. 

So, I love red wine.  But Christy, "Is red wine healthy?" you may ask.  According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, "some studies have found that a modest wine intake might decrease risk of heart disease," but the key here is that message of MODERATION. :) 

What does "moderate" drinking mean? 
A moderate amount of drinking, as defined by the CDC, is based on your gender. 

• WOMEN: No more than 1 drink per day is recommended. 
• MEN: No more than 2 drinks per day is recommended. 

OK, but what does ONE drink mean? 
ONE alcoholic drinks is defined as... 

• 5 ounces of wine (12% ABV) or 

• 12 oz. of beer (5% ABV) or 
• 1.5 oz. (aka a “shot” of 80-proof liquor) 

As you can imagine, how much you pour into your wine glass can easily add up to more than 1 drink!  And with this recipe, it's easy to want to do so. ;) 

I find that red wine is just not as satisfying during these hot summer months. So this SWEET SUMMER SANGRIA is the cure for this dilemma because I can enjoy my favorite wine while also staying cool in this summer heat! 

​For this SWEET SUMMER SANGRIA recipe, you can use any wine you like.  For example, this recipe would work great with a white wine too.  I chose a red just because it's one of my favorites, it tastes great, is easy on the budget, and has some pretty great memories attached to it as well!  My now husband bought me a bottle of this Mark West Pinot Noir for our first Valentine's Day together. It was also the red wine we served at our wedding!  Needless to say, I love the stuff, but feel free to use your favorite wine in this recipe.

Also, have y'all seen this hard seltzer from White Claw?  I totally had one of those "Why didn't I think of that!?" moments when I tried it for the first time.  I knew instantly that I just had to make a delicious sangria using this stuff. And it turned out so good! Check out the recipe below. 

SWEET SUMMER SANGRIA

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bottle Pinot Noir (we used Mark West)
• 2 cans Black Cherry White Claw Hard Seltzer
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 lemon, sliced
• 1 pint (or 2 cups) of fresh berries (we used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey (optional)
• Frozen cherries (or your favorite frozen fruit) as "ice" 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add all of ingredients except the frozen cherries to a large pitcher and stir.
2. Add frozen cherries to a glass to be used as the ice.
3. Pour the sangria mixture over the frozen cherries and enjoy!

I hope y'all enjoy this SWEET SUMMER SANGRIA before this summer season ends! Show us yours by sharing below or @themealplanningmethod. 


christy