Apple cider sangria: a cocktail that eases into fall

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Sparkling apple cider sangria, from Zulka.com, includes white wine, still and sparkling apple cider, apples and apple brandy.

(Courtesy of Zulka)

Fall cocktail recipes will soon be in demand, and sparkling apple sangria is transitional option that blends pitchers of summer fun with the crisp flavors of autumn.

The recipe from Zulka.com produces a white wine sangria with still and sparkling apple cider, cinnamon and a touch of apple brandy.

Cocktail glasses are first dipped in Calvados and then rimmed with a blend of cinnamon and the brand's minimally refined non-GMO cane sugar. Apple slices and a cinnamon stick are added to each glass, and then it's time to pour in a party drink suited for fall gatherings or Halloween parties.

If you like the idea of season- blurring cocktails, Zulka.com keeps them coming with a cranberry mojito recipe that uses fresh cranberries to take this mood into the holidays.

Which white wine to use in this fall sangria? Zulka suggests Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, but the recipe also tested well with a dry Riesling (check the label for the word "trocken," the German word for "dry" and a designation that helps identify less-sweet varieties.)

And for a Jersey alternative to Calvados, the brandy from Normandy that is preferred for the recipe, there are several apple brandy options from Laird & Company. While Laird's no longer has the apple orchards to make its spirits in the part of Colts Neck known as Scobeyville, it still has facilities to age some of its now-Virgina-made brandy at its headquarters there. The options range from freshly distilled to those aged 4, 7-1/2 or 12 years.

For a party starter and conversation piece, there's the 100-proof Jersey Lightning. Caution, though. In this dangerously sweet sangria it could make a sneaky strike.

Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria

Ingredients

1/4 cup Zulka Morena sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups apple cider

1/2 cup Calvados or other apple brandy

750 ml bottle white wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)

1 bottle sparkling apple cider

5-6 apples, cored and sliced thin

Cinnamon sticks

Directions:

1. Mix together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. In another small bowl, pour a little of the brandy. Dip the glasses in the brandy and then the cinnamon sugar. Add a few apple slices to each glass. Set aside.

2. Pour the remaining cinnamon sugar in a large pitcher. Add the apple cider and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Top with the brandy and wine and mix. Add the rest of the apples. Chill until ready to serve.

3. Add the sparkling cider right before serving. Garnish with an apple slice and a cinnamon stick. Serve chilled. Add ice if desired.

Courtesy of Zulka.com, which offers a variety of recipes beyond cocktails.

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