Last week, we touched on a holiday cocktail, and while it was really damn good, it might be hard for some folks to continuously make drinks when they have a house full of people.
So, my cranberry sangria is the answer.
I say "my cranberry sangria" like I've been making it for years (I haven't). I wanted to feature a pitcher drink that's delicious, easy, swanky. OK, sangria. How do we make it Thanksgiving-y, though? My traditional spread of turkey, stuffing and potatoes doesn't make for good beverage inspiration, but cranberries? Now we're in business.
Cranberry juice cocktail could easily be used in this recipe, but that's not how we do things. Plus, cooking down the cranberries and adding their tasty liquid into the sangria comes with a bonus. Mix some of the orange juice you bought for another dish (ahem, cranberry sauce) with the leftover cranberries, and you've knocked out one of your holiday sides. Voila!
Cranberry Sangria
Makes 1 pitcher
Cranberry Cocktail:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Add water and sugar to a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Add in cranberries and return to a boil. Allow mixture to boil until cranberries start popping (about 5-10 minutes). Strain over a bowl with a colander. Eat or save the cranberries and use the liquid for sangria.
Sangria:
3 cups red wine (zinfandel)
1 cup black cherry rum (Cruzan)
1 cup cranberry cocktail
1 cup orange juice
1 cup hibiscus kombucha (you can find this at grocery stores like Publix)
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
Add all ingredients to a pitcher and stir. Pour over glass with ice to serve.
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