Red Wine Sangria a la Bobby Flay

The sad excuse for sangria left me unsatisfied and I knew I had to take matters into my own hands, so I decided to attempt to make some of my own.

I generally don’t much care for Bobby Flay, but there are a few things I trust him completely on: grilling, sauces, and cocktails. Plus, I had heard good things about his Sangria recipe so I thought it’d be a good one to try-out.

This sangria turned out phenomenal! It was super fruity (what I had been craving!), but not too sweet. Don’t even think about skipping the 24 hours in the fridge or you’ll be very sorry. The flavors need time to mellow and meld. This was a perfect treat for someone who has been longing for summer, and of course this would make a great cocktail at a outdoor Barbecue or Grill-out. YES, all you crazy northerners, there is a difference. You have to actually be eating/making something that is Barbecued to call it a Barbecue, ha ha.

• 1 bottle red Spanish table wine
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1/4 cup simple syrup, or more if you’d like (this is simply equal parts of sugar and water that has been heated until the sugar dissolves and then cooled; if you’re über lazy, I know they sell it at Trader Joe’s)
• orange slices (I used 1 blood orange and 1 Cara Cara orange)
• apple slices (I used 1 Fuji apple)
• blackberries (I used about 6 ounces)