#HotSummerEats ~ Dolce Far Niente (Sparkling Red Sangria)

Welcome to the FINAL day of #HotSummerEats! The tireless and fantastic Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla has rallied 18 bloggers together to share some AMAZING recipes with you to inspire your summer cooking over the course of this week. Make sure to click over to this kickoff post and enter the HUGE giveaway - so many amazing prizes from our sponsors!! Today is your last chance - so make sure to stop by!

Today I am sharing with you what I think of as a pretty quintessentially "summery" drink to share and enjoy. This is a fruity, fizzy punch chock full of brandy soaked stone fruit. I used a mixture of nectarines, peaches, and plums - yumm!

I halved the recipe since I was only making this for two people and there was still a good sized serving. I was really excited to be introduced to 1) Lambrusco (YUMM!) and 2) the homemade orange sour mix I shared below. That stuff is amazing and super versatile for alcoholic and non-alcoholic summer beverages! If you decide sangria sounds like a good drink to serve at a get together, I hope you will whip up a batch of this fruity, sweet drink and share it with your friends! Make sure you assemble it right before serving to help make sure the club soda and Lambrusco don't loose too much of their fizz.

Dolce Far Niente (Sparkling Red Sangria) from Summer Cocktails by QuirkBooks

Ingredients
4 peaches, nectarines, plums or a combination (pitted, cut into 1/2 inch cubes or wedges)
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
1 TBS granulated sugar
2 cups brandy
2 (750-milliliter) bottles Lambrusco, chilled
2 cups orange juice, strained and chilled
2 cups club soda, chilled
1 cup Homemade Sour Mix (see recipe below)
Large ice cubes for punch, plus smaller pieces for serving if desired

Directions

1. Place fruit in a large bowl. Rub orange zest into sugar until no strands remain and then sprinkle the mixture over the fruit. Add brandy. Let mixture rest at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours.
2. Stir together wine, orange juice, club soda, and sour mix in a punch or other serving bowl. Add several large pieces or cubes of ice and the fruit-brandy mixture, and stir. Serve drink in ice-filled cups or glasses, adding a scoop of fruit to each portion. Serve immediately. 

Orange Sour Mix from Summer Cocktails by QuirkBooks

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

3 TBS finely grated orange zest

3 TBS finely grated lemon zest

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

Directions

1. Pulse sugar and zests together in a food processor until sugar is damp and no zest strands remain. Alternatively, rub zest into sugar with fingertips.
2. Combine sugar mixture and water in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Let syrup cool to room temperature and then stir in juices. Refrigerate in an air tight container for up to 1 month. Shake before using.

Disclaimer - Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds. Pirate Jonny's, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish, and Voodoo Cheffor for providing prizes as well as samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats. No additional compensation was provided. All opinions stated are my own. 

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