watermelon sangria bar

there is one cocktail that i haven't given enough attention to here on the blog. sangria. and with the many different ways you can make it, ingredients you can customize, and different wines you can use, it really is a surprise it's taken me so long. you could make a new pitcher every day and probably have  a unique recipe for months! so in celebration of the arrival of summer, i teamed up with ONEHOPE Wine to bring you my take on white wine sangria… or at least the first take of many.

i decided to go with a watermelon sangria made with chardonnay and then include a small bar for toppers/mixers that the sangria would be great with or without.

ingredients: one large watermelon, ONEHOPE Chardonnay, triple sec, simple syrup, one orange, one lime, blueberries, vodka, and ginger beer.

1. open the watermelon and began cutting into cubes measure out 9 cups of watermelon, place in a blender to liquify, then strain out juice discarding watermelon pulp. pour the watermelon juice into a large pitcher.

2. stir in 1/2 cup triple sec, 1/2 cup simple syrup and 1 bottle of ONEHOPE Chardonnay.

3. chop the orange and lime, measure 1 cup of blueberries, add to your pitcher and stir.

4. refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

5. prepare the bar with your mix-ins. the recipe called for vodka in the sangria, but i thought i would give our guests an option, so i set out a decanter for them to add to taste. watermelon chunks were also set out to garnish your drink. and finally, my favorite, the ginger beer. usually reserved for moscow mules in our house, i thought it would give the drink a refreshing dose of bubbles. everyone loved it, so i would highly recommend this touch! we tried our share of ginger beer and wouldn't drink any other kind than this one.

don't forget the stirrers! the watermelon juice settles quickly, so these were a must.

after some sangria research, there are so many combinations swirling in my head that i must try this summer. i stuck with the chardonnay this time as it's always my fave on it's own, but i also have some ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc on reserve that is next on the list. i think that the chardonnay was the perfect contrast to the sweet watermelon though. what do you guys think? what is your favorite varietal to mix up in your sangria? 

if you haven't already heard of ONEHOPE Wine, stop by their site to read their story. a portion of all proceeds is donated to a long list of worthy causes you can see here. you can read more on each bottle of wine including details on how much of the profits they donate as well as the cause they will go to. i wish i felt this good about every bottle of wine i drank;)

[ i want to thank ONEHOPE Wine for letting me try out and share their wine! ]