You know how the Bible says, Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged? Ahem, yesterday, I learned that I should never judge teenagers who attend high school dances, get drunk, and then claim they had no idea the punch was spiked.
Let me rewind. Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a good friend’s baby shower. There’s just something about a round, perfectly beautiful baby bump that makes me incredibly happy I’m not pregnant.
(Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled for the pregnant ladies! I’d just rather eat the contents of a garbage truck than have another kid myself. #nothanks)
Anyhoo, as I reconnected with old friends and chatted about this and that, we helped ourselves to a glass of punch. Curiously, the punch had a slightly acidic quality that we just couldn’t pinpoint, but nonetheless helped ourselves to another glass. And another.
“What kind of punch is this?” I asked my friend Miss V.
“No clue, it’s pretty good, though,” she responded.
“It sort of tastes like prune juice and ginger ale, but it’s quite delish,” I countered.
By the third glass, mid-sentence, suddenly a light went off. Holy Sh*t, I’m buzzed. And then it dawned on me – we were drinking sangria! Fellow shower attendee Miss A pointed out that only a lush wouldn’t be able to detect wine in a beverage. (Ahem – she couldn’t either; after drinking her first glass, she okay’ed the beverage for consumption by children! Oops.)
And so I spent the rest of the shower with a grin on my face and concentrated on not dropping my fork. (In a smart move, we all switched to bottled water in a hurry.) Hence, while I used to scoff at teen flicks where the main characters got toasted at the high school dance, I now realize that even the most responsible of party goers can be fooled by a spiked punch bowl. Lest ye be judged, indeed.
To honour my pregnant friend and her delicious Sunday Afternoon Sangria, I’d like to share one of the LCBO’s most popular recipes – a delicious wine punch that is best enjoyed with friends. Salud!
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1/3 cup orange juice
1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine
1/2 cup triple sec
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup pitted Bing cherries
1 cup diced green apple
2 cups club soda (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a large pitcher or bowl, mix together brandy, lemon juice, lemonade concentrate, orange juice, red wine, triple sec, and sugar. Float slices of lemon, orange and lime in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight for best flavor. Just before serving, add cherries and green apple. For a fizzy sangria, also add club soda.