Sometimes it’s good to revisit the classics when you’re hosting a dinner party. It can be tempting to try and come up with something novel and it can also be tempting to serve multiple courses that are each a spectacle in their own right. Last weekend I had my friend Lela over for her birthday, we had a pitcher of this best ever classic red wine sangria and a big pan of chicken cacciatore (recipe will be coming soon). The food was simple, but effective, and it was so nice to prepare dinner and talk while drinking a few glasses of sangria. I know there are a million recipes out there right now for sangria, and I’ve enjoyed several variations over the summer with all kinds of different additions and flavours. I’ll always return to dependable red wine sangria though, it’s somewhat dangerously drinkable and of course the booze-soaked fruit is a whole other adventure. The most important thing with this recipe is allowing the fruit the opportunity to soak up all the alcohol overnight, if you drink it immediately after you stir everything together you’re really going to miss out on the subtle fruity sweetness that a couple of apples and oranges add to the finished product.

best ever classic red wine sangria:

1 bottle of fairly mellow and very cheap red wine (I like merlot best, anything really spicy or big in flavour will ruin the sangria’s easy drinkability)

1/2 cup brandy (probably something you don’t have lying around, but buy it once and you have it for all the sangrias and classy brandy drinking sessions you want)

1/2 cup Triple Sec or Cointreau (again, buy it once and then make all the fruity drinks you can possible think of)

2 sweet apples, sliced into thin pieces

2 oranges, peel left on and sliced into thin pieces

Club soda

Fill a large pitcher with the apple and orange slices. Add the red wine, brandy, and Triple Sec or Cointreau  and stir to combine. Refrigerate the sangria overnight. When you’re ready to serve it either top the pitcher with plenty of club soda or add the club soda to the glass. Make sure to serve with lots of ice and fruit in the glass.

Much like sangria and speaking of revisiting the classics, Echo & The Bunnymen never fails to put me in an excellent mood.

Echo & The Bunneymen – Lips Like Sugar