Summer Lovin' Rosé Sangria (recipe).

Today it hit 101 degrees in Los Angeles…101 degrees! I’m mean, I know it’s the first day of summer, but come on! Our new air conditioning unit is even struggling to survive; it keeps alternating with warm air and cool air. Also, all my plans to cook this weekend went out the door because there in no way I’m turning on my oven, so I decided that a cold, refreshing cocktail would be the best solution for recipe planning this round.

Since the grocery stores are stocked with an abundance of fresh fruit for summer, I decided to make a fruit-packed drink that’s smooth, colorful and classy: Summer Lovin' Rosé Sangria. Rosé is the perfect summer wine, so why not plump it up with some juicy fruit and ice and sip it under the sun? Well, that’s my plan…!

One of my favorite, most affordable Rosé wines I purchase at Trader Joe’s is La Ferme Julien; it’s only $4.99 and it pairs perfectly with this drink. I also purchased the Amusant Bubbly Pink Moscato (you can substitute a sparkling Rosé wine) for this recipe for only $5.99 at Trader Joe’s. A lot of Sangria recipes call for added brandy, but I chose Veev instead because the Acai spirit adds an element of brightness to the fruit flavors.

I brought this drink over to my friend’s barbeque last night and it was a huge hit! She placed my Sangria in a beautiful pitcher with an easy-use handle and poured the drinks into the most beautiful gold monogramed glasses (M for Makin' it with Maren!). Everyone loved the flavors and they ate the fruit from the Rosé Sangria, too. If you’ve been waiting to bust out that pretty pitcher in your cupboard, then now’s the time to use it. Try my Summer Lovin' Rosé Sangria and tell me what you think! Don’t forget to check out my YouTube video recipe for this drink and SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL for more cocktail and food recipes…cheers!

Summer Lovin' Rosé Sangria

(makes 1 pitcher)

Ingredients:

1/2 pint strawberries (sliced)

1 whole peach (sliced thin)

10 raspberries (halved)

1 bottle of Rosé wine

1/2 cup of Veev Acai spirit

1 bottle of sparkling Rosé wine or Pink Moscato

ice

Garnish:

fresh mint (optional)

Directions:

Add strawberries, peach, raspberries, Rosé wine and Veev to a pitcher and let refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. To make a full pitcher in advance, top with 3/4 of a bottle of sparkling Rosé wine or Pink Moscato (you can add the leftover moscato right before you serve it to show guests that fun fizzle!). Stir. If you are making individual glasses, add ice to a wine glass and fill half way with Sangria, then top with 4 oz of the Moscato. I like to garnish my Sangria cocktail with fresh mint, colorful paper straws and homemade stir sticks. Enjoy!