13 January, 2013

Monday Drinking Game: Sangria #thebitchelor


Not sure if I can call it a secret addiction., since we play it on Twitter, but @ebethO and @lusciouslushes and I spend Monday nights dishing on the improbable hilarity of ABC's the Bachelor (we are equal opportunity and enjoy the same japing during seasons that are the Bachelorette) via a drinking game we call #thebitchelor.  We each pick a word and grab a beverage.  When any of the words come up, we drink.  Strategy is key to hangover avoidance on a school night.  It's a lot of drinking if we pick blockbuster words that are repeated  and repeated.  Last week, "love", "connection" and "chemistry" were super popular and I was glad of my 10% alc Moscato.  So this week, I am braving the cold with winter white sangria.  Recipe from Bon Appetit

Ingredients
Cara Cara oranges , one sliced and the other juiced
tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1 teaspoon rose water
1 750-ml bottle chilled brut cava 

Ingredient Info:
Rose water is available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Middle Eastern markets.  Cara Cara oranges are a believed to have mutated in Venezuela of regular navel  and red fleshed oranges resulting in a citrus with a lovely  almost floral taste and pretty color than can range from dark pink to red. Compared to regular oranges, they have lower acid and a sweeter taste. The cava I selected is one I received as a sample, Freiexnet Cordon Negro.  With all the hands that have been through my sparkling wine cache, the often underated "black bubbly" ended up not getting drunk up in the NYE sparkler extravaganza. More for me I say.   Made from a base wine that blends 35% Cavaare Macabeo, 25% Xarel-ho and 40% Parellada, it is  sprightly wine with good acid and hints of tropical fruit in its flavors.  Freixenet (pronounced fresh-eh-net) is the world's largest producer of methode champenoise .  Started in 1861 in Catalunya, these Spanish winemaking families, the Ferrers and the Salas have worked hard for a long time to achieve quality on a global scale.  Affordable and tasty, it gives us all a great option with which to celebrate every day.  


Preparation
Using a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, mash first 3 ingredients in a large pitcher. Add cava; stir gently to combine.  Pour over ice and wait for the drinking game to get good.  See you on Twitter!  for #thebitchelor

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