One of my most popular recipes of all time is my Elderflower Rosé Sangria – while hosting my nightly Virtual Happy Hour on Instagram, I wanted to put together a sangria that people could easily recreate with what they had on hand.
Even when we’re not in isolation, limiting our trips outside the home, and concerned about food security, I am on a crusade against food waste. Now that all these factors are taking up our mental space, I’m doubling down on my efforts to use up everything in my fridge.
I had some blackberries and some fresh thyme on hand so I thought I would put them to work in a refreshing summery sangria. I’m encouraging creativity and freestyle drink-making on happy hour so use whatever fresh berries you have on hand. Some other tasty combinations would be: strawberries & basil, blueberries & sage, raspberries & mint.
You could also swap out rosé for white wine if that’s what you have. I will say, this Mirabeau de Provence Étoile Rosé was divine. It reminded me of the time I spent learning French in the South of France, making the trek down to the harbour front hotel after class with my peers and downing several bottles of the blush pink rosé.
As we’re all cooped up inside – either alone or with just the same person or people, I think we are all starting to let our imaginations/memories wander to better times.
On a Zoom date with two of my girlfriends last week, one of them told me that this global pandemic is bringing a lot of men from our collective past out of the woodwork. She asked if I had received any unexpected outreach from men from my past. At the time, I hadn’t, and was a bit offended that no one felt compelled to reach out to me for a little digital dalliance mid-pandemic.
Well friends, I’m please to report that my disappointment was short-lived. After my first brush with fame, a.k.a. my appearance on morning television, someone I slept with once in 2008 sent me a message. Obviously I left an impression.
The conversation was short-lived because I couldn’t have less in common with this person now and his profile photo also featured his wife – the two of them wearing matching hockey jerseys.
If this is the sort of tomfoolery single women are suffering six weeks into a pandemic, I can only imagine what we’ll be dealing with if this lasts for 6 months, or longer.
In spite of the nearly non-existent human contact, aside from the exchange with the cashier at the grocery store every two weeks, sneeze guard separating us, I haven’t been bereft enough to open Hinge or any of the other maligned dating apps on my phone. The prospect of becoming pen pals with a bunch of mouth-breathing, neck-beard sporting men doesn’t exactly get me fired up.
I’ll be over here contenting myself with carbs, whipping up chuggable cocktails like this Herbes de Provence Rosé Sangria on virtual happy hour, and connecting with my girlfriends via Zoom/FaceTime/Houseparty.
That being said, I am looking forward to hitting a dance floor hard when we’re in the clear on this. Been working on my TikTok dance routines in the kitchen but almost ready for a wider audience.
Herbes de Provence Rosé Sangria
- ¾ oz vodka
- ½ oz simple syrup
- ½ oz lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 blackberries
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 3-5 oz French rosé
- 2 blackberries for garnish
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
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Add all ingredients, excluding rosé, to a shaker tin. Muddle blackberries and thyme with other ingredients. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice cubes. Top with rosé. Garnish with 2 blackberries skewered on a cocktail pick.
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Simmer sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool before using. Store syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
