Bite Of Minnesota: Spring Sangria

Hosting a party can be a lot of work and is also quite rewarding to see your hard work pay off. The key is to allow time to enjoy it yourself. To cut down on busywork during the party, I try to prep as much as I can ahead of time so I can get out of the kitchen and mingle. One of the easiest ways to do this is by keeping drinks simple. Unless you're throwing a craft cocktail party, there's no need to play bartender after mixing up a pitcher (or two) of fruity sangria.

Drinking sangria on a hot summer day brings me back to Barcelona where we'd enjoy carafes of red, white and sparkling (cava) sangria while sitting on a patio or nibbling on tapas. It's the ultimate summer beverage because you can make it as boozy or as fruity as you'd like and it's easy to adapt to the seasons.

Spring Sangria

2-3 cups of sliced or diced fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, berries)
½ cup peach brandy
1 750ml bottle chilled Prosecco, (Italian sparkling wine)
1 cup peach nectar
Superfine sugar, as desired

In a pitcher, combine fruit, peach brandy, and peach nectar. Stir and let sit in fridge for 1-2 hours. Before serving, add Prosecco and taste. Add superfine sugar as desired and stir to dissolve completely. Serve over ice.