National Red Wine Day
Like most, we’re holding on to the end of summer as hard as we can! National Red Wine Day on Sunday the 28th of August is the perfect excuse to make delicious and refreshing red wine cocktails, before the summer is over. Soon we’ll be starting to think about Mulled Wine sitting by a fire…sure it’s practically Halloween!!
Let’s not think about that now and enjoy the last few weeks of summer cocktails! We’re giving you the recipe to two of our favourite red wine mixed drinks, the Tinto de Verano and a Sangria style Spiced Honey Wine. It is oh so simple, yet so incredibly tasty and cooling!
Tinto De Verano
The literal translation of ‘Tinto de verano’ is ‘Red wine of the summer’ so you shouldn’t let this summer end without mixing up this refreshing drink! Sunday the 28th, ‘National Red Wine Day’, may very well be your perfect day to do it!
Once the sun starts warming things up in Spain, the Tinto de Verano starts flowing. Of course, everyone has their version and secret touch that makes it the best! Depending on the region you will be asked if you want it ‘con blanca o con limón’ which will determine what you receive mixed with your wine – clear soda or lemon flavoured, generally ‘La Casera’. Its low alcohol strength makes it perfect for enjoying in the hotter months of the year, and it could hardly be simpler to make.
How to make a Tinto De Verano
Ingredients you’ll need to make a Tinto de Verano :
- 1 part Red Wine
- 1 part Sparkling Water or Lemon Soda
- 1 slice of Orange and Lemon to garnish
- Ice
How to Make:
- Add ingredients to a wine glass or highball.
- Fill with cubed Ice above the level of the liquid.
- Slide in a wheel of lemon and a slice of orange and serve.
Spiced Honey Wine, Sangria Style
Our Spiced Honey Wine is such a delicious combination that we needed to be able to have it all year around, so this recipe is a twofer. Part Sangria, part Mulled Wine, this recipe works great in both the heat of summer and the cold months of winter. It’s a batched red wine recipe that you can either serve at a low ABV. Or like Sangria, you can stiffen it up with a measure of your preferred brown spirit. Served straight into your glass along with the batch. It even means that if you want, you can give your guests a choice of what spirit they mix with.
This recipe is also designed to be prepared well in advance. So, you get to enjoy the time with your guests rather than constantly fixing drinks for them.
How to make Spiced Honey Wine Sangria
Ingredients you’ll need to make a Spiced Honey Wine Batch:
- 3 parts Red Wine
- 1 1/2 parts Pressed Apple Juice
- 1 1/2 parts Honey Syrup
- 1/2 part Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/4 part Ginger Juice
- 1/8 part Vanilla Extract
How to Make:
- Measure out the ingredients for the batch into a mixing bowl.
- Use a funnel to add to a sterile and airtight bottle.
- Store in the fridge until ready to use.
How to Serve:
- Add wheels of fruit and slices of ginger to all glasses.
- Add chosen brown spirit and 2-3 dashes (to taste) of Angostura bitters to each glass along with the fruit and ginger. If you are offering a selection of spirits to choose from, you might want to let guests do this part themselves.
- Top off with the chilled Spiced Honey Wine batch.
We’ve removed the powerful flavours like cinnamon and anise, and replaced it with Angostura bitters. Allowing the individual to add as much or as little as they like of the bitter aromatic spice. The base spirit is also not included in the batch so it makes the choice an individual one. We find brown spirits work best, but this really comes down to personal choice. The obvious choices are Brandy, Cognac in particular. Another great one is Rum, something rich and dark rather than light and dry.
Finally, you will have noticed that this is a batched recipe. One you can prepare days in advance and keep bottled in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. This makes entertaining just that little bit easier and enjoyable for the host too!
There is no point in making deliciously refreshing drinks if you are going to skimp on the ice. There is a terrible misconception that using less ice is better…
Understanding the importance of Ice
Ice is vital to making great drinks. It opens up flavours with the power of dilution and makes them crisp and refreshing by making them deliciously cold. Here is a simple little rule to help when handling ice:
More ice = Colder Liquids
Colder Liquids = Slower Melting of Ice
If you hear anyone say, “just a few cubes of ice in my drink please, I don’t want it getting too watery” you now know how to explain the science to them.
As always, don’t forget to show us what you made by tagging us!
@Candra_Drinks #MakeBetterDrinks #CandraDrinks
