A simple (but potent!) red wine sangria with apples, oranges, allspice, and brandy. A splash of zesty ginger beer tops it off. Beware, this goes fast!
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
1750-ml bottle red wine - I prefer something on the drier side*
1cuporange juice
1large or 2 small applescored and cut into chunks
1medium navel orangesliced
1cupred grapesoptional
1teaspoonwhole allspice
3/4cupbrandy
1/2cupTriple Sec
212-ounce bottles ginger beer**
Instructions
To a large pitcher, add all ingredients except for the ginger beer. Seal or cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 10 hours. Scoop out a few pieces of fruit and add it to your glass, picking out the allspice if you prefer. Pour the sangria into the glass to about 3/4 full. Top off with ginger beer and stir gently to mix. And now the best part: serve and drink!
Notes
* I've been using a red meritage blend for this recipe, but Sangiovese is another great choice for red wine sangria.** A nice, zesty ginger beer is my favorite. Ginger ale or lemon-lime soda will also work. I also like sparkling water but the result is definitely less sweet. If you like a less-sweet sangria, this is the option for you, or you can start with a sweeter wine, or even add a little simple syrup to adjust the sweetness to your liking right before serving.