My best friend in the whole world is getting married in April. This weekend, as part of my bridesmaid duties, I made sangria in celebration of her “last night as a single gal”. There are many different ways to make sangria, which is why it’s difficult to mess up. Any recipe can be transformed to fit your personal style and taste.

In general, follow these basic rules for making any kind of sangria:

• Use a wine you would normally drink. Don’t buy something cheap expecting to turn it into something fabulous. You’ll only end up disappointed.
• Use fruit that compliments the wine. Hint: read the label, it usually says what fruit notes are present.
• Use juice and/or liquor that compliments the fruit.
• Don’t over think it. There is no such thing as too little or too many ingredients!

It's common, and often preferred, to make sangria 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerate it. By doing so, the wine and liquor have more time to "marinate" with the fruit and pull the flavors together. The fruit may be soggy by the time you are ready to serve the sangria, so have extra, fresh fruit ready to switch out. If you don't have time to make it the day before, that's ok. I whipped together the following recipe about 8 hours in advance, and it turned out just right. I had a few of the ladies asking for the recipe, so here it is.

Bachelorette Sangria:

• 2 bottles - Chardonnay
• 1.75 L - Raspberry Lemonade (+/- 1 carton)
• 750 mL - Peach Schnapps (+/- 1 bottle)
• Strawberries - cut in halves
• Raspberries

You can add more or less of any of these ingredients. Mix, taste, and adjust to your liking. I have never made this sangria before. I pulled inspiration from other recipes, and came up with my very own concoction. I will definitely be making this again over the summer!

If you make sangria or other refreshing beverages often (and are known for entertaining), then a beverage jar would be a great investment. I borrowed the one I used, but I may have to get my own now. This Mason Jar Drink Dispenser from Pottery Barn is officially on my wish list!

Feel free to share your sangria recipes by leaving a comment.