Recipe A Day

I don't know about where you are, but here we're in the middle of a heat wave and it's just going to get hotter. I'm looking for drink recipes that help me keep my cool -- something cold, sweet, sparkling, and just a little bit spiked. Did someone say sangria?

And since it's so hot, I'm thinking I'll pass up on traditional red sangria and go for rose since it's a little lighter in flavor. One of my favorite things about sangria is you can get away with using the cheap stuff, too. Here's a fruity, refreshing sangria spritzer to get your weekend off to the right start. Ole!

Rose Sangria Spritzer via Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 bottles cold rose wine
• 1 green apple, thinly sliced
• 1 orange, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• Simple syrup, to taste
• Ice cubes
• Fresh mint leaves, for garnish
• Club soda, cold, optional

Directions

Combine wine, apple, orange, and raspberries in a pitcher. Add simple syrup, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day. Serve over ice, garnish with mint, and top with a few splashes of club soda, if desired.

And in case you don't have this handy, simple syrup is really easy to make. Just melt 1 cup of sugar in 1 cup of water either on the stove or in the microwave. Sugar should be completely dissolved into the water before using.

Image via Dinner Series/Flickr