Life

5 Wine-Based Cocktails For Late Summer

by Marion Bernstein

There are few things more refreshing than a late summer cocktail. But as much as I love Labor Day drinking, I'm not always eager to indulge in copious amounts of hard liquor in 90 degree heat. That's why I love celebrating my last few weeks of summer with refreshing, low ABV wine-based cocktails.

Not only does wine lower the overall ABV of each cocktail, it also complements the delicate flavors of fresh fruit and herbs without overpowering them. Home bartender and cocktail stylist Natalie Migliarini of Beautiful Booze loves mixing up low-proof libations. Migliarini tells Bustle, "Using wine adds more floral and fruit notes to each cocktail. For example, for the pineapple mojito I use Anew Pinot Grigio, which offers touches of tropical fruit, making every sip more flavorful and exotic than your typical heavy rum-based mojito."

Migliarini applies this same flavor-matching technique when pairing each wine-based cocktail with food. She adds, "The light and crisp flavors of the ginger beer and blackberries in my white wine blackberry mule pair perfectly with an omelet filled with tangy goat cheese and fresh herbs — or a light chicken salad with blue cheese and walnuts." When serving her signature strawberry mint rosé lemonade, she recommends Belgian waffles topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

Whether you're hosting a brunch, throwing a barbecue, or imbibing solo, the next time you're mixing up classic cocktails at home, try swapping out some of the hard stuff for light and fruity, low ABV wines. Just don't forget to raise your glass for a much-deserved toast to late summer leisure.

1. Strawberry Mint Rosé

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces Anew Rosé
  • 3 ounces lemonade
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 5 strawberries, chopped (reserve a few whole strawberries for garnish)
  • 10 fresh mint leaves, chopped (reserve a few mint sprigs for garnish)
  • 1 cup ice

Directions:

  1. In a shaker, add chopped strawberries, simple syrup, mint leaves, and ice.
  2. In a serving glass, combine rosé and lemonade.
  3. Shake mixture, then pour into serving glass and stir.
  4. Garnish with strawberries and mint.

2. Pineapple Pinot Grigio Mojito

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce rum
  • 2 ounces Anew Pinot Grigio
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice (reserve fresh lime wedge for garnish)
  • 1 ounce pineapple juice (reserve fresh pineapple slice and pineapple leaf for garnish)
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 10 fresh mint leaves (reserve a few mint leaves for garnish)
  • 2 cups ice

Directions:

  1. In a shaker, add rum, Pinot Grigio, lime juice, pineapple juice, simple syrup, mint, and one cup of ice.
  2. Shake mixture, then strain over ice into serving glass.
  3. Garnish with lime slice, pineapple slice, mint, and pineapple leaf.

3. Anew Mimosa

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces Champagne, Prosecco, or Cava
  • 1 ounce Anew Riesling
  • 2 ounces fresh orange, cranberry, or grapefruit juice
  • Edible flowers for garnish

Directions:

  1. In a Champagne flute or wine glass, combine juice and Riesling.
  2. Top with sparkling wine.
  3. Garnish with edible flower.

4. Spa Piña Colada

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce rum
  • 1 ounce Anew Pinot Grigio
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice (reserve lime wedge for garnish)
  • 1 ounce pineapple juice (reserve pineapple slice and pineapple leaf for garnish)
  • 1 ounce coconut water
  • 1/2 ounce agave nectar or honey
  • 2 cups ice

Directions:

  1. In a shaker, add rum, Pinot Grigio, lime juice, pineapple juice, coconut water, agave nectar, and one cup of ice.
  2. Shake mixture, then strain over ice into serving glass.
  3. Garnish with pineapple slice, lime, and pineapple leaf.

5. White Wine Blackberry Mule

Ingredients:

  • 1 ounce Made Real Vodka
  • 1 1/2 ounces Anew Riesling
  • 1/2 ounce lime juice (reserve a few lime slices for garnish)
  • 2 ounces ginger beer
  • 5 fresh blackberries (reserve a few blackberries for garnish)
  • 1 cup ice
  • Simple syrup to taste

Directions:

  1. In a shaker, add vodka, Riesling, lime juice, blackberries, simple syrup, and a half cup of ice.
  2. Shake mixture, then strain over ice into serving glass.
  3. Top with ginger beer.
  4. Garnish with blackberries and lime slices.

Images: Beautiful Booze (5)