WASHINGTON — When it comes to enjoying wine, it’s time to think outside the bottle.
A full and fruity red or a crisp and refreshing white are always welcome beverage options at backyard cookouts and summer soirées. But wine’s versatility doesn’t stop at a popped cork and a generous pour — wine can be used as a key ingredient in a number of luscious cocktails.
Michael Warner and Michelle Lim Warner, owners of Dcanter in Eastern Market, share their favorite wine-centric sips for summer.
Some basic tips for making wine cocktails:
Mixing wine with other forms of alcohol is nothing new.
“When you talk about countries that have a strong wine culture — really the old world countries, France, Germany, Italy and Spain — all of them have a long tradition of also doing wine cocktails,” says Michael, who opened DCanter two years ago.
One way to start experimenting with wine cocktails is to simply mix your favorite liquor with your favorite wine. However, Michelle says to keep in mind that white varieties tend to work better in mixed drinks than reds, with the exception of traditional sangria, of course.
“Usually sparkling wines and white wines lend themselves a little bit more easily for mixing than red wines do, because they have a little bit more of a smoother finish, and you don’t have to compete with the body that red wines tend to have,” she says.
And good news for those who like to keep the ingredient list — and prep time — to a minimum: You can make even the most elegant wine cocktail with just a few ingredients.
“For me, cocktails shouldn’t be complicated: you make it, you sip it and you enjoy it,” Michelle says.
The Annecy Kir Royale
Michelle first had this drink while on vacation in France. “We were sitting at a bar after many, many miles of walking around, and I wanted a little afternoon sip … I wanted something special.”
The bartender recommended a Kir, and the drink became an instant favorite of Michelle’s — it’s one she still makes today.
“When you’re thinking about drinking wine outside of just pouring it in a glass, think about the memories you had and try to recreate those memories,” she says.
The cocktail, which combines a crisp sparkling wine, Chambord, a lemon twist and a blackberry for garnish, is perfect for an afternoon garden party.
It pairs best with finger foods such as goat cheese, crostini and fresh vegetables.
“Simple is better,” Michelle says.
Ingredients:
6 ounces of brut crémant
½ ounce Chambord
1 lemon twist — just to wipe the rim of the glass and spritz a bit of lemon scent in the glass
1 blackberry for garnish
Pour the Chambord in a glass flute; top it off with the brut crémant. Wipe the rim of the flute with the lemon peel. After, twist the lemon peel twist over the glass to release a bit of lemon scent onto the glass. Sip and enjoy.
Sparkling St. Germain
If you’re looking for a simple cocktail that will impress guests all night, look no further than this recipe. Sure, the sparkling wine, St. Germain and bitters taste delicious when combined, but it’s the sugar cube that steals the show.
Once the cube is plopped into the glass, small and festive bubbles rise to the top, and continue to do so as the sugar dissolves in the drink.
“It makes a great aperitif, it’s a great way to greet your guests — and it’s something exciting beyond just something sparkling,” Michelle says. “The bubbles just start rising. Doesn’t this excite you?”
Ingredients:
6 ounces of brut sparkling wine
½ ounce of St. Germain liquor
1 sugar cube
1 to 2 drops of orange bitters
Pour the St. Germain liquor into a glass flute. Top it off with the brut sparkling wine. Take the sugar cube and place one to two drops of orange bitters, just enough to soak through the sugar cube.
Drop the sugar cube into the flute filled with the sparkling wine and St. Germain liquor. Watch as the bubbles elegantly ascend to the top of the glass. Sip and enjoy.
White Peach Sangria
Sangria is a great wine cocktail to make because it’s difficult to mess up. As long as you add enough fruit and enough sugar, Michael says, you’re likely fine.
“There’s really no wrong way to make sangria. As you taste it, as you put it together, just keep adding ingredients until it meets the flavor profile you’re going for,” he says, adding that if it comes out too strong, some sparkling water and club soda can help to lighten it up.
Michael’s favorite sangria recipe is for white peach sangria. To get started, slice some fresh peaches, mix them with sugar and let them sit in the fridge.
“That will do a couple of things. It will bring out the natural sweet juices of the peaches and it will chill them down so that when you go to make your drink, it’s got almost a natural ice cube that doesn’t water it down,” he says.
For the alcohol part of the beverage, Michael and Michelle mix a few bottles of a dry white wine with a bit of triple sec and vermouth.
“You can make it ahead of time; you can sit it aside and just assemble it after your guests have arrived,” Michelle says.
Sangria is also a great option for larger gatherings. You can mix all of the ingredients in a pitcher and let guests serve themselves, or spoon some peaches into a glass and top it with the alcoholic mixture.
Ingredients:
(Makes eight servings)
4 white peaches, sliced (pit removed)
½ cup of sugar
2 bottles of chilled dry white wine
¼ cup dry vermouth
¼ cup triple sec
Mint for garnish
Slice the white peaches into segments and remove the pit. Place the sliced peaches into a bowl. Cover and massage the peaches with sugar. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and let sugar and peaches sit for about two hours to allow the peach juice to release and sugar to soak into the peaches.
When ready to serve, pour the two bottles of chilled dry white wine in a large pitcher. Add the dry vermouth and triple sec. Stir the liquid. Add the white peaches soaked with sugar along with any juice that has been released while soaking.
To serve: Use a small glass tumbler or a white wineglass. Fill the glass with the sangria liquid. Add in a couple of the peach segments and top off with sprigs of mint for garnish. Savor and enjoy.
