Red Sangria -- Something Cold for a Yard Full of People on the Fourth

Fourth of July tomorrow and a backyard full of people and the particular heat of Alabama July which requires a kind of stubborn cheerfulness to survive. I have been doing this long enough to have rituals: the ribs started Friday, the dry rub applied Thursday night, the cold tea brewed extra-strong on Thursday so it has time to steep fully and be good on Friday. Preparation is how I love and summer is when preparation becomes most visible, all the steps that lead to the moment when the food hits the table and people eat it before the heat can diminish it.

Travis brought his grill this year — a larger one, which he purchased specifically for occasions at my house. He brought it in the bed of the truck and set it up in the yard and looked pleased with himself in the way of a man who has provided a good thing. I told him it was a fine grill. He said, thank you, Miss Loretta. I said, Travis, you have been in this family for two years. Call me Mama. He stopped and looked at me and then he said, yes ma'am, Mama. It took him twenty months to get here and I was not pushing him. He got here on his own, which is the right way.

CJ texted at nine that night: "Shanice is feeling some things that may or may not be early labor, staying home, she's fine, doctor says this is normal at 38 weeks." I read it three times. I did not drive to Huntsville. I left my phone on the nightstand fully charged and went to sleep the best I could, which was not my best sleep. Next time I get that text it will not be "may or may not."

A yard full of people in Alabama heat calls for a drink that is already made before anyone arrives — something you can pour without stopping what you’re doing, something cold enough to cut through the July air. I started the sangria the same time I started the ribs: the night before, so the fruit has time to get to know the wine and everything is ready when it needs to be. Travis set up that big grill and I set out the pitcher, and between the two of us we had the yard covered.

Red Sangria

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes + overnight chill | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750ml) dry red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot)
• 1/4 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup orange liqueur (such as triple sec or Cointreau)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 2 cups chilled club soda or lemon-lime soda, added just before serving
• Ice, for serving

Instructions

1. Dissolve the sugar. In a large pitcher, stir together the orange juice and sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved.
2. Build the base. Pour in the red wine, brandy, and orange liqueur. Stir gently to combine.
3. Add the fruit. Add the orange slices, lemon slices, strawberries, and grapes to the pitcher. Stir to distribute the fruit evenly.
4. Chill overnight. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, so the fruit infuses into the wine and the flavors deepen.
5. Finish before serving. Just before serving, pour in the chilled club soda and stir gently once. Do not add the soda early or it will go flat.
6. Serve over ice. Fill glasses with ice, ladle in the sangria with plenty of fruit, and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 10mg