IT'S COCKTAIL TIME

WHITE PEACH SANGRIA

I made this recipe for a big Fourth of July party. It can easily be halved or quartered to fit your needs.

I used the following ingredients.  Everything was available (except the vodka) at my local Kroger.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 Bottles Flip Flop Pink Moscato (750 ml bottles)
• 4 Bottles Flip Flop Riesling (750 ml bottles)
• 1 Cup Peach Schnapps
• 2 Cups Vodka
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 2 pints Blueberries
• 6-8 White Peaches Sliced
• 2 Cans Peach Nectar
• ½ Cup Simple Syrup (if needed)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix wine, schnapps, vodka and lemon juice together.  Add fruit.  Chill (preferably overnight). Just before serving, add peach nectar.  If too tart, add simple syrup.

BOTTLE'S KICKED UP SANGRIA

This past Fourth of July, we kicked up Bottle’s Sangria with the addition of a little vodka.  Also, we doubled the recipe since we had a crowd. Everybody enjoyed it.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 containers limeade concentrate, thawed
• 2 containers orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 3 1.5 Liter bottles of Fairbanks Port (Or 6 750 ml bottles of Fairbanks Port)
• 2 Cups Vodka
• ¼ - ½ cup simple syrup (You may not need the simple syrup so taste before adding).
• Sliced oranges, limes and lemons

DIRECTIONS:

Mix all ingredients together. Serve chilled.

LIMONCELLO

My husband and I adapted this recipe Limoncello Recipe from Debi and Gabriele on Cooking Channel’s Extra Virgin.

There is a two-step process to make this Limoncello and it is definitely a labor of love and of patience but your patience will be rewarded with a delicious yet potent cocktail.  It’s great in mixed drinks and is a wonderful night cap.  This weekend I am starting a batch of Orancello that I hope to serve Labor Day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 1/3 cups /1.5 liters 75-percent volume alcohol (recommended: 2 bottles Everclear Grain Alcohol)
• 14 lemons
• 6 1/3 cups /1.5 liters water
• 2 1/3 pounds/1050 grams sugar

DIRECTIONS:

STAGE ONE:

Using a potato peeler, peel the lemons, making sure to only separate the yellow part of the peel from the fruit, and not go too deep.

Place the peels in a large glass jar, big enough to accommodate all the ingredients in the recipe. Cover with the grain alcohol. Seal tight and let rest in a dark corner for two weeks. Do not expose it to sunlight.

(This is what it looked like after it had macerated for the first two weeks and the peels were discarded).

(This is what it looked like after the simple syrup was added to the macerated alcohol).

STAGE TWO:

After macerating the lemon peels in the alcohol for two weeks, drain the alcohol into a big container or bowl. Set the alcohol aside. Discard the peels.  

Heat the water in the pan and mix the sugar, then let it cool for an hour, stirring every now and then to make sure that all the sugar is dissolved.  

Combine the sugar water with the alcohol and return to the large jar.  Close the jar tight and let it rest for a month and again, remember no sunlight.

After one month, chill and serve.

WHITE GRAPE SANGRIA

My brother, Ron, totally fell in love with this and was a little surprised when it snuck up on him.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 cups green seedless grapes
• 1 golden delicious apple, cored and chopped
• 1 Peach, thinly sliced
• 2 750 ml bottles white wine (Flip Flop Riesling or Pinot Grigo), chilled
• 1 cup white grape juice, chilled
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup simple syrup

DIRECTIONS:

Put the grapes in the freezer about 2 hours before you want to serve your sangria.

Combine the chopped apple, peach slices, simple syrup, wine, white grape juice and vodka in a large glass pitcher. Chill.  Taste.  If not sweet enough, add simple syrup.  Add the frozen grapes to glasses and fill with the sangria.