Drinks and Cocktails

Sangria for Grown-ups

Nothing says party time like a pitcher of sangria. And few guys make it better than chef-owner Christian Thornton and sommelier John Clift at the restaurant Atria in my summer stomping grounds, Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. The guys start with dark rum and Domaine de Canton and St-Germain liqueurs, which add potency and spice, and they use fresh oranges, not the usual canned fruit cocktail you often find in frat house sangrias. But the real kicker comes from a carbonating agent: the dry Italian sparkling red wine called Lambrusco.

Sangria for Grown-ups

Recipe Notes

Yield: Makes about 4 cups
Equipment: Your basic bar gear plus a large (at least 2-quart) clear glass pitcher and a wooden spoon for muddling

Ingredients

1 orange
2 tablespoons sugar
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) dark rum, such as Myers’s
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) ginger liqueur, such as Domaine de Canton
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) St-Germain elderflower liqueur
Ice cubes
1 bottle (750 milliliters) Lambrusco wine, chilled

Recipe Steps

Step 1: Slice the orange into wedges and, using a fork, remove and discard any seeds. Place the orange and sugar in a pitcher and muddle (mash) them with the back of a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Stir in the rum, ginger liqueur, and St-Germain liqueur and let macerate (steep) overnight in the refrigerator, covered.

Step 3: When ready to serve, add ice cubes to the pitcher. Add the Lambrusco, stir gently, and serve.