I had the pleasure of attending Morningside Kitchen’s “Farm to Bar” cocktail class a few weeks ago with my friend Carly. Obviously I was excited that the class centered around seasonal ingredients, and I was eager to learn some new tricks for mixing drinks. One of my favorites from the night was the Morningside Autumn Sangria, which they are currently serving in the restaurant.
The splash of fall flavor comes from an herbal simple syrup, which is super easy to make. In class, the simple syrup was made with rosemary, oregano, and thyme. At home, I made mine with rosemary, sage, and a hint of lavender. You can use whichever herbs are your favorite.
I wanted to make their recipe even more seasonal, so I swapped the traditional orange juice for local Mercier Orchard apple cider (non-alcoholic). Regular apple juice would do the trick, or you could add alcoholic apple cider to make it even boozier. I thought the cider made a cleaner (looking and tasting) drink, and the apple + herbs marry so well. For the wine, bar manager Eric Potrikus recommended an inexpensive Italian red blend or table wine, like “two buck Chuck.”
Autumn Sangria
Ingredients
- 3 ounces red wine
- 1 ½ ounces herbal simple syrup (see below)
- ¾ ounce orange liqueur or triple sec
- ¾ ounce apple cider/juice or orange juice
- 2-3 thin apple slices
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
- Splash club soda or sparkling water (optional)
Large batch
- 1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
- 1 ½ cups herbal simple syrup
- ¾ cup orange liqueur or triple sec
- ¾ cup apple cider/juice or orange juice
- 1 apple, sliced thinly
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
- 8+ ounces club soda or sparkling water (optional)
Instructions
- Stir together wine, liqueur, juice, syrup, and apple slices; chill for a couple of hours or serve immediately over ice. When ready to serve, add a splash of club soda or sparkling water for effervescence and garnish with a sprig of rosemary (optional).
Herbal Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- Assorted fresh herbs
Instructions
- Heat water, sugar, and herbs over medium heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature, then strain out herbs. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.
Morningside Kitchen is the new, Mediterranean-inspired venture from the owners of Murphy’s, a beloved neighborhood restaurant in the Virginia-Highland area of Atlanta. For the schedule of upcoming classes, check here.