Pink Sangria

It isn't very often than I have the occasion to make an alcohol-based punch. We've been having quite warm weather here in Southern California; warmer than usual for the season, anyway, so it sounded like a good plan to serve a refreshing drink before the brunch yesterday. I should have checked the weather forecast last week when I was planning - we've been having fog and quite cool temperatures the last 2 days. But oh well, I didn't think anyone would really mind.

Going to my recipe trove, I had sorted through about 10 different punches that I thought appropriate, and this one just sounded right. But, I call it Pink Sangria, instead of the real title, White Zinfandel Sangria. It's unfortunate that white zin has acquired this reputation for only appealing to little ladies at the book club, or sipping on the porch in the southern summer afternoon. I used to really enjoy white zin - Beringer usually - but my tastes changed about 25 years or so ago, and normally I find white zin too sweet. So, to counter that tendency (to me, anyway), I used Peach Pucker Schnapps in this punch, instead of the usual (sweeter) Peach Schnapps. It definitely has a pucker, but added a really nice depth to the drink. You might taste it before you decide whether you want added sugar, if you use the Peach Pucker Schnapps.

Maybe peaches are in season somewhere in the world, but they're darned hard to find here. I did spy some at my local grocery store, but they looked terrible, so I decided to use just the lemons and oranges. You marinate the punch for awhile, so it imparts the cinnamon and citrus flavors. Have everything all chilled, then add the club soda at the last, along with ice and you have a really special-occasion drink. The photo above shows it in its marinating stage. I added the club soda just before serving. When I make this again, I'm not going to add as much club soda - it made the punch too thin to me. But use your own discretion on that.

White Zinfandel (or Pink) Sangria
Recipe By : Bon Appetit, July 2001
Serving Size : 6
750 milliliters wine -- white zinfandel, chilled
1/2 cup peach schnapps -- or Peach Pucker Schnapps
2 tablespoons Cointreau -- or other orange liqueur
2 tablespoons sugar
2 whole cinnamon sticks -- broken in half
1 whole lemon -- sliced
1 whole orange -- sliced
1 whole peach -- sliced into wedges
1 bottle club soda -- chilled, 10 ounce bottle
Ice cubes
1. Mix first 8 ingredients in tall pitcher. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Mix in club soda. Fill 6 wineglasses with ice cubes. Pour sangria over ice and serve.
NOTES : I call this Pink Sangria, just because lots of people profess to dislike white zinfandel. But with all the other ingredients, it just becomes a nice, light, summer drink. I use Peach Pucker Schnapps (because that's what I had on hand the first time I made it), which makes the drink a bit more tart than some might like).
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 152 Calories; trace Fat (2.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 84mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 0 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates. (My recipe program doesn't recognize peach schnapps, so that's not included in the nutrition summary.)
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.