*Instead of cupcake monthly, that my waistline wouldn’t let me actually keep up with, please enjoy this first official installment of Kitchen Monthly. Though I doubt it’ll be monthly. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?

One of my favorite things to drink in the summer is a fruity, chilled, and slightly sweet sangria. I first tried my hand as making sangria a few years ago after watching a bit too much Rachael Ray. From her I learned that you should usually have a citrus, a stone fruit (peach, plum, etc.), and a seed fruit (apple, pear, etc.). That combination has stayed with me, and I’ve been tinkering on versions ever since. The last one I made was by far my favorite one I’ve ever made, so I thought I should share my basic recipe.

Summer Sangria

1 btl dry rosé

1 lime, sliced into thin disks, then halved

15-20 cherries, pitted and halved

half packet raspberries (about 3 to 4 oz.), fresh (not frozen)

2 peaches, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup dark rum, whatever brand you prefer

1/4 cup brandy, best quality you can afford

1 can fruit-juice sweetened spritzer (I like Knudsen’s brand) in strawberry

Ice, as much as you like

Add the fruit to the bottom of a pitcher. Sprinkle sugar over fruit and stir to macerate slightly (sometimes I use a long wooden spoon to smash some of the fruit a little, especially the citrus, to get it going). Add liquor and wine and chill for at least an hour (maybe two). When you’re ready to serve, add the can of fruited spritzer and stir. Spoon fruit into a glass filled with ice, pour and enjoy with your favorite summertime view.

Obviously you can modify this for a red wine version by swapping the wine, adding orange slices, an apple, and using a grape or boysenberry spritzer. The fruit is really just an accent to the combination of wine and liquor. Try out your favorites (try cava instead of rosé!) and elevate and ordinary wine into something spectacular. Happy summer and enjoy! xoxo