It’s almost time for New Year’s eve celebrations! I’m so excited, and so are my neighbors. As I right this post, they’re outside busy testing fireworks for the big day.
I’m already menu planning for the big night. One thing that I’ve learned about past New Year’s parties are that most people don’t really like champagne, or at least the type of champagne you serve a crowd. You know, the economical brand. In years past, I’ve mixed champagne with sprite and added fresh berries, and it’s pretty good, but this year I wanted to make something really special.
So to take advantage of the beautiful citrus we have available here in Florida, I made this amazing citrus sangria. I added fresh orange, lemon and lime juice. You can add any type or combination of citrus you like, I just used that I had on hand. For the wine I used a spumante which is an Italian sparkling wine. It has a light, fruity flavor and doesn’t have the dry, tangy, sour taste people dislike so much about cheapo champagne. And the best part is, it’s really cheap too, averaging under $5 for a 750ml bottle.
I’ll be serving this sangria this New Year’s eve, along with several appetizers from Sam’s Club, like an assortment of cheeses, crackers, fresh fruits and a shrimp cocktail ring. I’ll also make some of their pre-packaged bacon wrapped scallops and phyllo spinach appetizers. They have such a huge selection of ready made items, perfect for parties and get-togethers.
Yield: Serves 4
For the Sangria:
1.5L bottle Vendi Spumante, chilled (available at Sam's and WalMart)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed oraange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup simple syrup, chilled(recipe below)
For the simple syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
For the sangria:
Combine vendi spumante, citrus juices and simple syrup in a large pitcher. Mix well to combine. Serve chilled.
For the simple syrup:
Combine water and sugar in a small saucepot. Dissolve sugar and water and cool. Refergerate until ready to use.
