Arctic Spritzer

Freeze the wine.

If you have space in the freezer, freeze your wine glasses too.

Wine will never completely freeze due to the alcohol, but that’s exactly what you want.

Before serving, crush up the frozen wine… it should resemble a clear “slushy”.

Spoon the wine into a white wine glass and top it up with the soda water.

Serve with a white straw and in fairness, a parfait spoon to scoop up some of the ice.

Dip a twist of lemon, lime or orange in powdered sugar and add it to the side of the glass.

SANGRIA VARIATION

Use white wine sangria as the frozen wine. How do you make white wine sangria? Slice a whole orange, lemon and lime, and let the slices (skin and all) soak in a fill bottle of sav blanc for as long as possible. The longer you can infuse the fruit, the better it tastes. Always use a glass jug for the infusion process, and keep the wine in the fridge with cling-wrap over the top of the jug. I like to leave it infuse for a least a few days, and I give it a stir twice a day. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. The wine will often take on a very slight yellowy-orange tint. To give it a “boost” you can add 10mls of orange, lemon or lime cordial to the wine before freezing.

Another variation on white wine sangria is to use stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and apricots in place of citrus fruits. the taste is just as nice and amazingly different. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. Using these fruits, the wine will often take on a very slight yellowy tint and be a little cloudy… all good. To give it a “boost” you can add 10mls of peach schnapps to the wine before you freeze it.

And then there’s the berry option. Use thinly sliced strawberries, 2 teaspoons of sugar and about 10 mls (a bottle cap full) of raspberry cordial to the wine (not the soda water).

GRANITA VARIATION

The look and taste of these drinks is so amazing that you could serve the frozen wine as a “granita”… adding in some of the sliced fruit and leaving out the soda water.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Make a “tinted” drink for parties. one drop of food colouring (just one – not two or three) in the soda water, will give the arctic spritzer a tint.. red gives a pink tint… blue makes it look even icier… green makes it look fresh.

Add about 30 mls (a shot glass) of cordial to the soda water. blackberry, cranberry and raspberry are best.

Add about 30 mls (a shot glass) of flavoured schnapps to the wine before freezing. Fruit flavours work best.

All of the above, whether a plain arctic spritzer, or one of the variations, are great to serve when eating spicy asian foods e.g. Thai, Vietnamese etc as they are extremely palate-refreshing.

Freeze the wine.

If you have space in the freezer, freeze your wine glasses too.

Wine will never completely freeze due to the alcohol, but that’s exactly what you want.

Before serving, crush up the frozen wine… it should resemble a clear “slushy”.

Spoon the wine into a white wine glass and top it up with the soda water.

Serve with a white straw and in fairness, a parfait spoon to scoop up some of the ice.

Dip a twist of lemon, lime or orange in powdered sugar and add it to the side of the glass.

SANGRIA VARIATION

Use white wine sangria as the frozen wine. How do you make white wine sangria? Slice a whole orange, lemon and lime, and let the slices (skin and all) soak in a fill bottle of sav blanc for as long as possible. The longer you can infuse the fruit, the better it tastes. Always use a glass jug for the infusion process, and keep the wine in the fridge with cling-wrap over the top of the jug. I like to leave it infuse for a least a few days, and I give it a stir twice a day. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. The wine will often take on a very slight yellowy-orange tint. To give it a “boost” you can add 10mls of orange, lemon or lime cordial to the wine before freezing.

Another variation on white wine sangria is to use stone fruits such as peaches, nectarines and apricots in place of citrus fruits. the taste is just as nice and amazingly different. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar to bring out the sweetness of the fruit. Using these fruits, the wine will often take on a very slight yellowy tint and be a little cloudy… all good. To give it a “boost” you can add 10mls of peach schnapps to the wine before you freeze it.

And then there’s the berry option. Use thinly sliced strawberries, 2 teaspoons of sugar and about 10 mls (a bottle cap full) of raspberry cordial to the wine (not the soda water).

GRANITA VARIATION

The look and taste of these drinks is so amazing that you could serve the frozen wine as a “granita”… adding in some of the sliced fruit and leaving out the soda water.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Make a “tinted” drink for parties. one drop of food colouring (just one – not two or three) in the soda water, will give the arctic spritzer a tint.. red gives a pink tint… blue makes it look even icier… green makes it look fresh.

Add about 30 mls (a shot glass) of cordial to the soda water. blackberry, cranberry and raspberry are best.

Add about 30 mls (a shot glass) of flavoured schnapps to the wine before freezing. Fruit flavours work best.

All of the above, whether a plain arctic spritzer, or one of the variations, are great to serve when eating spicy asian foods e.g. Thai, Vietnamese etc as they are extremely palate-refreshing.