By Week 533. Year 11. Tommy is 44. The Fourth of July cookout on Claycut Drive — the annual institution, the neighborhood gathering, the brisket or the hog or the ribs on the pit and the thirty or forty people in the driveway and Carl at the door and the sparklers at dusk. Colette (17) in college/nursing school. The summer is loud and hot and full.
Made fried catfish this week — the kind of food that fills the house with the smell of Louisiana and the knowledge that whoever walks through the door is walking into a home where the stove is on and the food is ready and the welcome is unconditional. The meal was the day. The day was the meal. Both were good. The bayou runs on.
When you’ve got forty people in the driveway and the catfish is already done its work — the house smelled like Louisiana for the rest of the night — you need something cold and easy that keeps the welcome going without putting you back at the stove. That’s where a big pitcher of Spiced White Sangria earns its place on the table: fruity and bright, with just enough warmth from the spices to remind you it’s the Fourth and the summer is serious, and everyone who showed up on Claycut Drive tonight is exactly where they’re supposed to be.
Spiced White Sangria
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 2 hr 15 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1/2 cup brandy
- 1/4 cup triple sec or orange liqueur
- 1/4 cup honey or simple syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 orange, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- 2 peaches, pitted and sliced (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups ginger ale or club soda, chilled (added just before serving)
- Ice, for serving
Instructions
- Combine the base. In a large pitcher, stir together the white wine, brandy, triple sec, and honey until the honey is dissolved.
- Add spices and fruit. Drop in the cinnamon sticks, cloves, and star anise. Add the orange slices, lemon slices, and peach slices. Stir gently to combine.
- Chill. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. The longer it sits, the more the spices and fruit infuse into the wine.
- Finish and serve. Just before serving, pour in the chilled ginger ale or club soda and give it one gentle stir. Pour over ice-filled glasses and make sure each glass gets some of the fruit.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 10mg