Cocktail Hour // Summer Sangria

The best part about long summer days?  More time to spend with your girlfriends!  When I first moved to LA I knew exactly zero people.  Now six years later, I feel so lucky to have so many great girlfriends that I can depend on, especially these four ladies: Beth, Sueann, Kate, and Michelle.  We all are quite different which makes living life with them really fun!  When we were in Palm Springs a couple weeks back, Kate whipped up this White Sangria that is perfect for summer and so delicious! It was a Cocktail Hour post just waiting to happen.  Luckily, Aaron had his camera and the girls were sweet enough to join me for a little poolside photo sesh too!

KATE'S WHITE SANGRIA

Ingredients:

-3 bottles of white wine (I use Charles Shaw sauvignon blanc-- no need to use nice stuff since you can't taste the difference in the end).
-several splashes of Sprite Zero (less calories and tastes the same)
-several splashes of Cognac
-lots of cut up fruit: I use nectarines, apples, blackberries --- anything in season.  I don't recommend raspberries because they fall apart.

1.  Cut up all the fruit and put into a beverage dispenser.
2.  Pour two bottles of wine into beverage dispenser (save the third bottle for later).
3.  Soak fruit for at least 6 hrs (best if overnight)
4.  Once fruit is well soaked, add third bottle of wine
5.  Continue to add splashes of cognac and sprite zero and taste as you go

Cheers to enjoying the rest of summer with your favorite girlfriends... and a couple cocktails too!

{Photos by Aaron Pinkston}