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Sangria
Come Party With Me: Almost Meatless Thanksgiving — Drinks
Kick-start your Thanksgiving meal with a refreshing sangria-style glass of white wine. Made a day in advance, this wine is infused with oranges, Grand Marnier, and Pernod. Bay leaves and whole cloves give it an herbaceous, aromatic appeal that's sure to pair perfectly with baked brie and walnuts.
Happy Hour: Sage Sangria
Just because Summer is long gone but that doesn't mean you have to stop enjoying sangria. Depending on the ingredients you employ, the wine-based punch can be sipped all year round. Instead of using a warm-weather fruit like peaches, this sangria is infused with Fall's most woody herb, sage.
Happy Hour: Basil Sangria
From wine spritzers to cabernet caipirinhas, this Summer, I've been all about sipping wine-based cocktails. The one I'm most infatuated with is sangria. I've experimented with tropical fruit sangria and floral liquor sangria.
Come Party With Me: Outdoor Concert — Drinks
Why do I love sangria so much? Let me count the ways. It's wildly delicious and refreshing.
Happy Hour: Peach and Mango Sangria
Recently my parents hosted an impromptu barbecue. When I asked if I could make the specialty cocktail, my dad said, "nah, that's too much work." Then I politely reminded him that a specialty cocktail doesn't always involve muddling and exotic spirits.
Happy Hour: Blackberry and Cabernet Caipirinha
After being inspired by San Francisco Cocktail Week, I've decided that this Summer, I'm going to experiment with different spirits and mixers. First up is the Brazilian sugarcane rum known as cachaça. The caipirinha is the classic cocktail that features cachaça.
Happy Hour: Sangria Flora
Last weekend I hosted my first outdoor dinner of the season. While I had grand plans to serve a crazy new cocktail, in the end, I went with a crowd-pleasing standby, sangria.
Sangria is one of my favorite drinks to pour at a party because it's wildly refreshing, can be made in advance, and serves a large group.
Come Party With Me: My Half Birthday — Drinks
Months ago, I ripped this recipe for rose sangria out of Food and Wine magazine. The recipe has haunted me — I've tried to make it several times, but on each occasion, I've run into problems. The first shot I didn't realize the syrup needed a night to macerate.
Come Party With Me: Chinese New Year — Drinks
For a large dinner party select a specialty cocktail that can be made in advance and in a large batch. This recipe for a white wine sangria gets an Asian twist with the addition of canned lychees and sake. It will pair perfectly with spring rolls and Chinese noodles.
Come Party With Me: Election Night — Drinks
Elixir, the bar where LibertySugar and I are hosting our town-hall style election-night bash, is offering guests a selection of drinking specials for the party. With fabulous names like "Bye Bye Miss American Rye," the menu will feature only American brands like Bluecoat gin, Square One vodka, and Sam Adams brew. I plan on ordering the "Red, White, and Night" a potent, sangria-like concoction made with vodka, red wine, and lemonade.
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