Summer Sangria

Summer time, and the livin's easy...

My absolute favorite drink during the summer is the sweet and spicy homemade sangria.  No matter what is on hand, it turns out great. Since a couple of people have been asking for my recipe (I must talk about it alot?) I thought I would share. This little drink really only needs a few staples and you can make it which ever way fits the needs of your taste buds. This evening I went with a cheap Shiraz, let the games begin.

This recipe is really just the beginning of combinations.

Partial sangridients.

Ingredients:
1 bottle of red wine-  Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
1 lime cut into wedges
2 Tbsp of sugar
1 shot of brandy (a nice pour)
1 bottle of ginger brew
1/4 cup of orange juice

Spices:
1/8 tsp of clove
1/8 tsp of nutmeg
1/8 tsp of cardamon
1/4 tsp of fresh grated ginger
1 tsp of cinnamon

Pour wine and orange juice in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon, lime, and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and the shot of brandy (one Mississippi...). Sprinkle in the  spices and give it a stir. If you are not in a hurry, let the mixture sit overnight. If you are like me and want to drink it once its chilled, add the ginger brew, stir, and refrigerate. The flavors will become stronger as they sit.

Serve over ice. If making a double batch you might mix wines, possibly a Cab and Shiraz.

Sangria cooling over ice.

Variations: Sometimes you are caught without all the ingredients on hand, I know I have multiple times. By using what you have you can create many variations, possibly lemonade or pear juice in place of orange juice. A little twist of fresh black pepper and mint?