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    10 Tasty Wine Cocktails That Go Beyond Classic Sangria

    Why limit yourself to pouring wine straight from the bottle when you can shake things up by using it as a base for a new favorite cocktail instead? READ: 6 Ways To Enjoy Cocktails Guilt-Free Forget wine purists. Mixologists and experts agree that a touch of port, Malbec, or rose can enhance the flavors of a well-prepared libation, resulting in a luscious, velvety smooth concoction that can kick off a relaxing happy hour or cozy holiday gathering.  Sure, there’s the classic chilled sangria or piping hot punch, but bartenders are discovering new ways to reinvent the wine cocktail. There also are no set rules on which wines you can use, making it easier to get creative. “Although you wouldn’t want to mix a particularly special bottle of wine, there’s otherwise nothing wrong in using wine to make cocktails,” says Kara Newman, spirits editor for Wine Enthusiast Magazine. “In fact, there are many classic cocktails that call for wine, particularly sparkling wines (cava and prosecco), fortified wines (sherry and port), aperitif wines (Lillet), and vermouth, which is a fortified and aromatized wine. An aperol spritz, sangria, or even a martini wouldn’t be the same without wine!” RECIPES: Punch Up Your Party With 10 Festive Libations Newman, whose favorite wine cocktail is the cabernet sauvignon and pisco-fueled Santiago  Sour, also says more mixologists across the country are incorporating wines into their creations and the trend is only starting to heat up. “Using wine as a cocktail ingredient also fits into the trend toward lower-alcohol cocktails,” she adds. “I’m seeking more cocktail menus calling out wine varieties as part of drink ingredients.” Quench your thirst tonight with these 10 tantalizing wine cocktails:

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  • Apple Barrel Revolver
    Ingredients ¼ granny smith apple 1 oz. Laird’s Applejack Brandy 1 oz. Cabernet Sauvignon ¾ oz. fresh lemon juice ¾ oz. honey 2 dashes angostura bitters 1 star anise pod 1 egg white apple slices ground cinnamon Preparation In a shaker tin, muddle apple and anise pod. Add brandy, wine, lemon juice, honey, bitters, and egg white. Shake well. Add ice to shaker tin, shake well again, and double strain into glass. Garnish with apple slices, star anise, and fresh ground cinnamon.
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    Bartender Marco Borraz of Oak in Dallas, Texas.
  • Cucumber Batida
    Ingredients 2 oz. rum 2 slices fresh cucumber 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 oz. fresh lime juice splash of red wine Preparation Muddle cucumber with brown sugar. Add rum and lime juice and shake over ice. Strain over fresh ice and add a splash of red wine.
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    Obao in New York.
  • Mendoza Julep
    Ingredients 5-7 mint leaves in the bottom of a julep cup 0.75 oz. cinnamon syrup 2 dashes of angostura bitters 1.5 oz. Malbec 0.5 oz. ruby port 1 mint sprig freshly grated nutmeg Preparation Fill 2/3 of cup with crushed ice. Add ingredients and stir until frosty. Pack the rest of cup with more crushed ice. Garnish with mint sprig and nutmeg.
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    John Henderson of Tavern Road in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Suppressor #21
    Ingredients 1 oz. Cynar 1 oz. Barolo Chinato 1 oz. Amontillado Sherry 2 dashes of Regans’ Orange Bitters No. 6 1 grapefruit peel, for oils Preparation Stir together the Cynar, Barolo Chinato, sherry, and bitters. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube of ice. Express oils from the grapefruit peel by squeezing it over the surface of the drink. Discard the peel.
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    Paul Calvert, mixologist of Pura Vida Tapas & Bar in Atlanta, Georgia. Courtesy of Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
  • Padova
    Ingredients 1 oz. white wine 1.5 oz. grapefruit juice ¾ oz. Aperol ¾ oz. Campari 1 grapefruit peel 1 bamboo stick 1 grape Preparation Add all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake for 20-30 seconds. Pour into a coupe glass. Garnish with a grapefruit peel with a bamboo stick and a grape.
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    Salvatore Tafuri, mixologist for Bar Felice in New York.
  • Gris the Wheels
    Ingredients 1 strawberry half of an orange wheel 4.5 oz. Pino Gris 0.5 oz. St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur 0.5 oz. habanero-infused blanco tequila 1 lime twist Preparation Muddle strawberry and half of an orange wheel. Add ingredients in cocktail shaker and shake. Strain over crushed ice. Garnish with orange slice and lime twist.
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    John Henderson of Tavern Road in Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Port of Manhattan
    Ingredients 2 oz. rye whiskey 1 oz. Terra d’Oro port 2 dashes angostura bitters 1 drunken cherry (a sour baking cherry covered in port and refrigerated) Preparation Stir whiskey, port, and bitters in a mixing glass filled with ice. Strain into a martini glass or serve over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a drunken cherry.
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    Natalie Bovis, The Liquid Muse Mixology.
  • Gaspare’s Winter Punch
    Ingredients 3/4 cup Campari ¾ cup orange liqueur 2 bottles medium bodied red wine 6 cups cranberry juice 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries ½ cup raisins ½ cup sugar 1 orange zest 6 cinnamon sticks 10 whole cloves 10 whole allspice 6 whole star anise 1 whole nutmeg 1 tsp. almond extract Preparation Place cranberries with raisins, orange zest, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cranberry juice in a six-quart pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Add wine and sugar and heat until steaming (6-8 minutes). Do NOT bring to a boil. Add Campari, orange liqueur, and almond extract. Strain out cranberries and ladle into punch cups. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and star anise.
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    Julie Reiner of Flatiron Lounge in New York.
  • Rudolph’s Spritzer
    Ingredients 4 oz. Rose 1.5 oz. elderflower liqueur Lemon lime or club soda 1 lemon twist Preparation Add all ingredients in an iced wine glass and stir gently.
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    Darryl “Dr. Mixologist” Robinson
  • Pear Mulled Wine Sangria
    Ingredients 1 bottle Pavan liqueur 1 bottle dry red wine 1 fresh ginger slice 1 whole cardamom cloves cinnamon stick orange peel sliced gala apples sliced barlett pears Preparation Stir together liqueur, wine, and spices. Simmer mixture on low in crockpot or stovetop until flavors settle. Add fruit. Serve warm or over ice with a splash of sparkling water.
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    Bartender Phil Pepperdine of The Randolph in New York.
  • Published
    11 Images

    10 Tasty Wine Cocktails That Go Beyond Classic Sangria

    Why limit yourself to pouring wine straight from the bottle when you can shake things up by using it as a base for a new favorite cocktail instead? READ: 6 Ways To Enjoy Cocktails Guilt-Free Forget wine purists. Mixologists and experts agree that a touch of port, Malbec, or rose can enhance the flavors of a well-prepared libation, resulting in a luscious, velvety smooth concoction that can kick off a relaxing happy hour or cozy holiday gathering.  Sure, there’s the classic chilled sangria or piping hot punch, but bartenders are discovering new ways to reinvent the wine cocktail. There also are no set rules on which wines you can use, making it easier to get creative. “Although you wouldn’t want to mix a particularly special bottle of wine, there’s otherwise nothing wrong in using wine to make cocktails,” says Kara Newman, spirits editor for Wine Enthusiast Magazine. “In fact, there are many classic cocktails that call for wine, particularly sparkling wines (cava and prosecco), fortified wines (sherry and port), aperitif wines (Lillet), and vermouth, which is a fortified and aromatized wine. An aperol spritz, sangria, or even a martini wouldn’t be the same without wine!” RECIPES: Punch Up Your Party With 10 Festive Libations Newman, whose favorite wine cocktail is the cabernet sauvignon and pisco-fueled Santiago  Sour, also says more mixologists across the country are incorporating wines into their creations and the trend is only starting to heat up. “Using wine as a cocktail ingredient also fits into the trend toward lower-alcohol cocktails,” she adds. “I’m seeking more cocktail menus calling out wine varieties as part of drink ingredients.” Quench your thirst tonight with these 10 tantalizing wine cocktails:

Move Forward
  • 10 Tasty Wine Cocktails That Go Beyond Classic Sangria
  • 1
  • Apple Barrel Revolver
  • Cucumber Batida
  • Mendoza Julep
  • Suppressor #21
  • Padova
  • Gris the Wheels
  • Port of Manhattan
  • Gaspare’s Winter Punch
  • Rudolph’s Spritzer
  • Pear Mulled Wine Sangria