Sangria is the perfect party drink since it can be made in big batches and is best when mixed in advance.  Traditionally, sangria is made with red wine.  During the summer, serve rosé sangria instead: It’s light enough for warmer weather and still goes well with grilled meat.  Here is a basic recipe for rosé sangria, which can easily be doubled or tripled depending on the size of your party.

Rosé Sangria (serves 4)

1 bottle dry rosé wine, preferably Spanish or French

1 cup orange juice

½ cup brandy

½ cup triple sec

¼ cup simple syrup or agave nectar

3 cups sliced assorted fresh fruit (oranges, lemons, limes, apples, blackberries and/or watermelon)

Combine the ingredients in a large pitcher.  Add additional sweetener (simple syrup or agave) to taste.  Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.  Serve straight up or over ice.

Even if you don’t live in the South, you can still get in on the Kentucky Derby fun by tuning in and serving the race’s signature cocktail at home.  Big hats are optional (but very fun!).  Can’t watch the big event?  Host a showing of Secretariat  - a movie about Kentucky’s thoroughbred legend.

Mint Julep is a cocktail made by combining bourbon, simple syrup and mint (recipe below).  Though there is a lot of debate about when to add the mint to the mix, I like to infuse the simple syrup with fresh mint.  It adds a deep, fresh flavor to the drink.

Mint Julep (Makes 6 drinks)

Mint simple syrup (see below)

24oz Kentucky bourbon

Crushed ice

Fresh mint, for garnish
Place 6 glasses in freezer for at least 30 minutes to create frosty serving cups. Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1-2 Tbs. mint syrup in each (adjust amount of syrup according to each person’s taste). Garnish with fresh mint sprigs.

Mint Simple Syrup (recipe makes about ½ cup)

1 cup distilled water

1 cup sugar

1 bunch fresh mint

Stir together water and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, until sugar dissolves.  Simmer over high heat for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly.  Remove pan from heat and add mint, steeping for 10 minutes.  Strain mixture with a fine mesh sieve and cool to room temperature.  Refrigerate until cold.  Can be made in advance and stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

I recently hosted a bridal shower brunch for my sister and came up with a fun signature drink to serve:  Sara’s Love Potion.  Similar to a mimosa, it’s a champagne cocktail made of 2 parts champagne and 1 part strawberry nectar* (you don’t need exact measurements – just pour some bubbly into the glass and add a splash of the nectar).  Serve in champagne glasses and garnish with fresh strawberries.  Print a sign with the name of the bride and the name of the drink.  Add some hearts of cupid clips and you’ll have yourself a hip signature drink.

*Several organic brands sell strawberry nectar which are pure strawberry juice.  Other brands, such as Goya, sell a strawberry nectar that is strawberry flavored (it has apple juice, added sugar, etc.).  Either will work in this drink.

Add an unexpected option to the sweetener selection for tea/ coffee by setting out rock candy that can be used as a swizzle stick.  Choose from various colors to coordinate with your party decore:  yellow for Easter, green for a garden party, or use a neutral white or brown (pictured above) for a dye-free alternative.  A little whimsical touch like this will make everyone feel like a kid again.

Prosecco pairs well with light appetizers like proscuitto wrapped melon, fig and parmesan crostini, bruscetta, olives, grilled vegetables, aged cheese and fresh fruit.

Prosecco is also touted as an inexpensive alterantive to champagne.  One of my favorites rings up at $15 a bottle from a local wine shop here in NYC. 

If you haven’t sipped Prosecco yet this summer, now is the time.  Salute!

Figuring out how much alcohol you need for a party can be tricky.  Knowing how many drinks you can get out of a bottle of wine, liquor or mixer is a good starting point.  The following list can serve as a guideline, but know that it depends on how you prepare your drinks.  I tend to use 1.5oz of hard alcohol instead of the standard 1oz per drink, so a bottle doesn’t last as long at my bar.  You should also consider the size of your glassware.  In a large goblet, 6 ounces of wine doesn’t look like much, and people will tend to pour more into their glasses.  The same goes for pint glasses; if you use those instead of lowball glasses you will need more than a 1oz shot of hard alcohol to make a standard strength drink.  Bottoms up! 

750 ml. bottle of wine = 4 glasses of wine (about 6oz per glass)
750 ml. bottle of hard alcohol = 25 drinks (1oz each) or 16 drinks (1.5oz each)
1 quart of juice = mixer for 6 drinks
1 liter soda = mixer for 6 drinks

I just discovered this amazingly delicious drink in Hawaii.  It is a variation on a pina colada, with the addition of a strawberry puree.  The drink is aptly named because the strawberry puree bubbles up like flowing lava.  This is a fantastic summer drink (especially for a lu’au theme party), but equally great for times when you just wish you were on a tropical getaway.

Lava Flow
1oz light rum

1oz Malibu coconut rum

2oz strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 medium banana (fresh or frozen)

2oz unsweetened pineapple juice

2oz coconut cream

ice (preferably crushed) 

 

1.       In the jar of a blender, puree the strawberries and both rums.  Pour the strawberry puree into the bottom of a hurricane glass or another tall glass.  Rinse the blender with water to remove any strawberry residue.   

2.       Blend the remaining ingredients (banana through ice) until smooth and frothy.  Slowly pour the mixture into the glass over the strawberry puree.  Watch the strawberry bubble up like flowing lava.  Serve with a thick straw and garnish with a wedge of pineapple or a fresh strawberry (umbrellas optional).

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My friends, Carolyn and Michele, recently adopted two puppies and threw a party to introduce the newest (furry) additions to their family.  The biggest hit of their dog-themed party was their signature cocktail - a Salty Dog.  These would also be great for a brunch or barbeque.  They are sweet, tart and deliciously refreshing.

Salty Dog

2oz vodka

4oz grapefruit juice

coarse salt for rim of glass

lemon (or lime) juice and wedges for garnish

ice
 

To salt the rim of the glass, either dip the rim into a small bowl filled with fresh lemon juice, or rub the rim of the glass with the cut side of a wedge of lemon.  Spin the wet rim in a bowl of salt.  Fill the glass with the vodka and grapefruit juice and a few cubes of ice.  Stir to mix and garnish with a wedge of lemon.  

Makes 1 Salty Dog 

• Make a large batch by multiplying the recipe and mixing the vodka and grapefruit juice in a pitcher
• Have glasses pre-salted, add ice and pour mixture over ice to serve
• Serve this drink in a high-ball, old fashion, martini or 8oz wine glass
• As an alternative, you can use gin instead of vodka
• Try substituting fresh squeezed pink or ruby red grapefruit juice to make this drink sweeter
• If you eliminate the salty rim, this drink would be called a Greyhound

Sangria is the perfect party drink.  It’s festive, flavorful and great for a crowd.  Unlike flavored martinis, which require you to shake each one individually, you can mix up a huge batch of sangria the day before your party and simply transfer it to a pitcher or serve it in a vase with a ladle.
Sangria should be made at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours in advance so the flavors have time to merry.
Don’t let the selection of fruit used below stop you from trying other fruit combinations.  The possibilities are endless.

Hip Twist on Traditional Sangria

2 bottles Spanish dry red wine, such as Rioja

1 C. Spanish brandy (preferably Brandy de Jerez)

1/2 C. orange juice

1/8 C. agave nectar (or ¼ C. superfine sugar)

20oz can Lychees (or Litches) in light syrup, undrained

3 apples, cored and cut into small cubes

2 oranges, cut into thin rounds

2 lemons (Meyer, pink, regular or a combination), cut into thin rounds

4 Key limes or 3 regular limes, cut into thin rounds, divided

2 cups club soda

Ice
 

1.       In a large pitcher, combine the first 4 ingredients and stir well.  Add the lychees and their liquid.  Add the remaining fruit (reserving 12 lime rounds to use as a garnish).  Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.   

2.       Remove from the refrigerator and add the club soda.  Gently stir with a large a ladle.  Serve immediately in a sangria or wine glass filled with ice, ladling some fruit into each glass.  

3.       To add the limes as a garnish to the glass, cut a slit in the remaining lime rounds (beginning in the center and cutting outwards through the rind on one side).  Put one lime round on the rim of each glass.  Drink up! 

Makes 12 servings

•  Penedès Brandy is another Spanish brandy, which is a good substitute but it tends to be drier than Brandy de Jerez.  If you cannot find a Spanish brandy any brandy or cognac will work.
•  Agave nectar is a vegan sweetener that is similar in taste to honey.  It is perfect for sweetening sangria or iced tea because it dissolves easily in cold liquids.  Also, it is known to have a lower glycemic index than other natural sweeteners.  Agave nectar is widely available in the natural/ organic section of grocery stores and at smaller health food stores.
• If you have never tasted a lychee you are in for a treat.  Lychees have a sweet, translucent white flesh and are similar in texture to a peeled grape.  Look for them in the ethnic sections in the grocery store or at an Asian or Mexican market.