Champagne Pomegranate Cocktail

4 cups crushed ice
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup ginger ale
1/4 cup brandy
1 (750-milliliter) bottle Champagne or sparkling wine


Combine the first 5 ingredients in a pitcher. Pour about 1 cup of the Champagne mixture into each of 8 glasses. Garnish with seeds, if desired.



--Adapted from Cooking Light magazine

White Wine Sangria

1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
1/2 cup white sugar
3 oranges (sliced) or may substitute 1 cup of orange juice)
1 lemon (sliced)
1 lime (sliced)
1/2 liter of ginger ale or club soda


Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the orange,lemon and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar. Chill overnight. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving. If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled white wine and serve over lots of ice.




--Adapted from here (About.com)

Party Sangria

1 orange, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 1/2 cups simple syrup
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1 bottle red wine


In a large pitcher, combine the fruit. Muddle. Add the rest of the ingredients, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Serve over ice with fruit garnish.



--Adapted from D. Clougherty