This is week 3 of our summer cocktail series.  Check in every Friday for a fresh, light and easy summer drink.  To see our past recipes, check out the Cocktails category.

I think sangria might be one of my favorite drinks ever.  Still, I don’t make it at home nearly enough and I rarely order it when I’m out (because it always seems overly expensive).  Finally, today, after going to a restaurant last night that was serving sangria for $9 a glass, I decided to make a whole, gorgeous pitcher for a grand total of $12.  (Note: this was not good for my productivity for the day.)

This sangria is a nice and light summer version.  Rosé keeps the fruit bright and has a much softer flavor, which lets milder fruits shine through.  I used a more minerally French rose because I thought it would match nicely with the cumber.  If you use a Spanish or California rosé, the sangria will likely have have a slightly sweeter, fruity flavor (which is yummy, too!  but I like a crisp rose with the cucumber).

Rosé sangria with peaches and cucumber

• 1 bottle rosé (750ml)
• 1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
• 2 peaches (I used white peaches), thinly sliced
• 2 T simple syrup (2 T sugar dissolved in 2 T water), or more to taste
• 1/4 liter of club soda (or, a splash per glass)

Pour the wine, fruit and simple syrup into a pitcher.  Let sit for 1 hour to let the flavors meld.  Serve in wine glasses, juice glasses, rocks glasses…whatever you like.  Top off each glass with a splash of soda water.

Cheers!