Days are shorter, and the trees have gone bare. We've discovered a lovely adult beverage to help you get through the chilly evenings, and maybe even impress your guests! It comes from YouTuber, blogger and author, Chef Billy Parisi (www.billyparisi.com). We love watching his videos because he teaches culinary fundamentals that help you improve as a home cook using a great range of recipes.

This seasonal Sangria is tasty and beautiful to serve in a large glass decanter or jug because of its warm fall colours. Chef Billy provided two variations and an inspired twist to take this drink to the next level. Whether you choose to make the Apple Sangria recipe or the Cranberry Sangria recipe, they both use the same mixture of seasonal fruits and can even be mixed for a Cranberry Apple Sangria. Yum!

The fruit base of this Spanish beverage consists of oranges, pears, apples, cranberries and pomegranates. We recommend picking different coloured apples to help brighten up the presentation. Chef Parisi garnished his drinks using dark cherry or lime Italian Ice instead of the usual ice cubes which add incredible flavour. However, we didn't have Italian Ice, so we used a sliver of orange rind to a garnish which added a pop of colour and citrus aroma with each sip.

Sauvignon blanc white wine is a great base for this sangria. Its citrus notes mix well with either apple cider or cranberry juice (or both!). You'll need to make simple syrup in advance using equal parts water and sugar brought to a boil, then chilled. It stores well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Add a little apple brandy to each cup with some simple syrup as you serve.

We hope that you try this crisp drink! Let us know if you did and if you made any changes.

Fall Sangria Recipe with Apples and Cranberries

(Serves 24 drinks)

Ingredients

For the Fruit:

• 3 sliced oranges
• 2 each cored and sliced golden delicious granny smith and braeburn apples
• 2 each cored and sliced Bartlett and bosc pears
• 2 cups of fresh cranberries
• 1 pomegranate seeds removed

For the Apple Sangria:

• ½ 750 ml bottle of sauvignon blanc
• ½ cup of apple brandy
• 8 cups of apple cider
• 3 tablespoons of simple syrup
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Lindy’s® lemon Italian Ice (optional)

For the Cranberry Sangria:

• ½ 750 ml bottle of sauvignon blanc
• ½ cup of apple brandy
• 8 cups of cranberry juice
• 3 tablespoons of simple syrup
• ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• Lindy’s® dark cherry Italian Ice (optional)