Cocktail Recipe: Sparkling Cherry Rosé Sangria
In my book, summer calls for a spritz, and while this sangria is hot pink and bubbly, don’t be fooled — it’s anything but delicate. It’s loaded with fresh cherries straight from the farmers market, spiked with cherry liqueur, and finished with cherry bitters. This sangria is as pretty on the palate as it is in the pitcher.
A dry rosé wine, not a blush or white Zinfandel, is the base here. The fruit and liqueur, along with the traditional simple syrup of a sangria, add all the sweetness you’ll need. (Using either a blush or a white zinfandel will leave you with an overly sweet sip.) Top this sangria off with some cold club soda, and you end up with a refreshing, spritzy drink, perfect for celebrating summer.
Tester’s Notes
If you like cherries, you can’t go wrong with this sangria. It has a triple dose of cherries: fresh cherries, cherry liquor, and even cherry bitters! It’s a beautiful, refreshing drink since it has both rose wine and club soda, and the rosemary sprigs add a touch of savory, herbal flavors to balance everything out.
– Christine, July 2015
Sparkling Cherry Rosé Sangria
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup
sugar
- 1/2 cup
water
- 2 cups
cherries, pitted
- 1
bottle dry rosé wine (E. Guigal or another dry rosé), chilled
- 1/2 cup
brandy
- 1/4 cup
Cherry Herring (or other cherry liqueur, see Recipe Note)
- 6 dashes
cherry bitters
- 1 liter
club soda, chilled
Ice
Whole cherries, pitted, for garnish
Rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan, and stir just until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
In a pitcher, pour the syrup over the pitted cherries and let stand 5 minutes. Add wine, brandy, and bitters and stir to evenly combine. Chill, covered, for at least an hour or, ideally, overnight.
When ready to serve, add club soda and pour into ice-filled glasses. Garnish with a fresh cherry on a sprig of rosemary.
Recipe Notes
If you can't find cherry liqueur, you can use brandy in place of it and increase the bitters if you find you want more cherry flavor.