The hot summer months seem to call out for a sweating pitcher of something tasty to quench that thirst... on the porch, at the barbecue grill or simply convenient to a tree-shaded hammock.
For tips on what to put in the pitcher, Liane Hansen stopped by Espuma restaurant in Rehoboth Beach, Del., to chat with Jay Caputo, the owner, chef and bar manager. He shared recipes for white sangria and non-alcoholic lemonade.
Here are Caputo's recipes:
Espuma Summer White Sangria
Yield: approximately 1 gallon
4 bottles white wine (something dry and fruity)
3 oranges, cut into eighths
1 lime, cut into eighths
2 fresh bay leaves
10 mint leaves
20 cracked peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, whole
3 peaches, preferably white, cut into eighths
1 tsp salt
10 lemon verbena leaves (optional)
1 vanilla bean (optional)
Pour the wine into a large pitcher or carafe. Add all the remaining ingredients except for the oranges and lime. Squeeze the citrus into the wine, herb, and spice mixture and add the fruit, as well. Stir the mixture. Allow the pitcher to stand at room temperature for 4 hours before serving, or cover and refrigerate overnight. To serve, fill a glass with ice and pour the white sangria over the ice until almost full. Top off with a spash of soda water or champagne to give it a bit of pizzazz!
(Note: At Espuma, we use either a dry Spanish albariño wine for its crispness and mineral-ly qualities, or a petite manseng (an unusual Old-World grape varietal) from Horton Vineyards in Orange County, Virginia. The nuttiness and pineapple flavors really make great sangria.)
Non-Alcoholic Lemonade
2 cups lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 pints fresh strawberries, quartered
1 cup simple syrup (To make, combine equal parts sugar and water, bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved into the liquid.)
30 fresh mint leaves
1 vanilla bean, split
15 whole black peppercorns
1 orange, quartered
1 quart water
1 tsp salt
Mix all of the ingredients in a 2-3 quart pitcher and allow to sit at room temperature for 4 hours, or in the refrigerator overnight. To serve, fill a glass with ice, and pour the lemonade mix over the ice.
To make into a cocktail, add 2 ounces vodka and 1 ounce of Malibu rum to a glass. Fill the glass with ice, and pour the lemonade mix over the alcohol.
Recipes by: Jay Caputo, chef, owner, and bar manager at Espuma restaurant, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
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