Five essential Sangria recipes — with great additions like frozen grapes, ginger and pear cider — to help quench your summer thirst.

With summer threatening to poke its head out, now’s the time to taste-drive a few summer drinks and find your own signature crowd-pleaser. If you like to entertain, you understand that sometimes your hosting duties can slide a little–after all it’s hard to keep your guests’ glasses topped up when you’re testing the hammock’s swing range. Ease the pressure of summer entertaining by following the three “Ps” of summer service–punch, pitchers and prepare ahead.

Perry Punch

Perry is a pear-based cider that is less acidic than apple cider, but still refreshing. Mixing this sangria with a little splash of melon liquor adds a touch of the exotic, while the white cranberry helps to balance the sweet-tart flavor.

Ingredients

• 3 cans (500mL) Sir Perry Pear Cider
• 1 can (355mL) club soda
• 3 oz. melon liquor
• 250 mL (1 cup) white cranberry juice
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) frozen cranberries

Combine cider, soda, melon liqueur and cranberry juice in a large pitcher filled with ice. Pour into chilled wine glasses and top with frozen cranberries.

Tip

If you don’t want to dilute your punch with pesky water, place ice cubes in Ziploc bags and float them in your pitcher—that way your drink is chilled and full strength!

Blackberry Sangria

It’s easy to keep the ingredients of this sangria on hand for anyone who drops by on a hot day. And with all its antioxidant properties, you might just end up better for it!

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750 mL) blackberry wine, such as Wild Vines Blackberry Merlot, chilled
• 375 mL (1 1/2 cups) pomegranate blueberry juice blend
• 375 mL (1 1/2 cups) frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
• 250 mL (1 cup) orange juice
• 4 oz. dark rum
• 500 mL (2 cups) club soda

Combine blackberry wine, pomegranate juice, frozen berries, orange juice and rum in a large pitcher and chill until ready to use. Pour sangria into Collins glasses filled with ice, top with soda and serve.

Sparkling Peach

This recipe is especially refreshing during the dog days of summer. Some sparkling wines have smaller bubbles than others, so if you find your sangria isn’t as effervescent as you’d like, top up your glasses with a bit of soda.

Ingredients

• 1 750 mL-bottle (3 cups) sparkling wine
• 4 oz. apricot brandy
• 2 cups (500 mL) peach nectar
• 1 peach sliced
• 1 lemon, cut into wheels
• 1 orange, cut into wheels

Soak fruit in brandy for at least an hour or overnight if time permits. Combine fruit, sparkling wine and peach nectar in a large pitcher and refrigerate until ready to use. Fill wine glasses with ice, pour over sangria and garnish with a fresh strawberry, if desired.

Classic Spanish Sangria

The drink that started it all. This is the reason bartenders and home mixologists make fruit-based punches at all. Refreshing, delicious and highly addictive!

Ingredients

• 6 oranges
• 3 limes
• 3 lemons
• 1 red apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 4 oz. brandy or sherry
• 1 bottle (750 mL) red wine, chilled (Spanish rioja works especially well)
• 1 can (355 mL) club soda, chilled

Squeeze the juice from five of the oranges, two limes and two lemons and set aside. Slice the remaining orange, lime and lemon and place in a large pitcher with the apple pieces. Pour over brandy and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight if possible. Add citrus juice, wine and club soda. Pour sangria into ice-filled wine glasses and enjoy.

Frozen Grape and Ginger Sangria

This sangria is great for pulling together at the last minute if you have all the ingredients on hand, as it doesn’t require mellowing time in the fridge before serving. Having all the ingredients pre-chilled means the grapes stay frozen longer, and you’ll need less ice.

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750 mL) of chardonnay, chilled
• 4 oz. triple sec
• 500 mL (2 cups) white grape juice, chilled
• 500 mL (2 cups) red and green grapes, washed, stemmed and frozen
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) sliced fresh ginger
• 1 can (355 mL) ginger ale

Combine wine, triple sec, grape juice, frozen grapes and fresh ginger in a large pitcher. Pour into ice-filled Collins glasses, top with ginger ale and garnish with slices of fresh lime, if desired.

First published at CanadianLiving.com