It’s so nice that as it warms up it seems Australia is starting to open up! We have been so lucky here in Brisbane, but the other states of Australia are now opening again and we can start to catch up with friends and family. It’s so exciting because this is the best time of year, in my opinion, to be enjoying a drink with friends! And what better way to up our game with some fun cocktails? So I thought to celebrate, I would share four fun wine cocktails for Spring!
Now I love a good glass of wine as much as the next person, but sometimes I want something super refreshing and fun. Whether you agree with putting wine in a cocktail or not, you can’t argue with the refreshing taste of a chilled cocktail. I love how refreshing wine cocktails are, and they can also be really affordable to make! They definitely make a catch up with friends next level special.
So let’s dive into these four fun wine cocktails for Spring!
Aperol Spritz
via Giphy
Aperol Spritz is my go-to wine cocktail for Spring, and you can see why. It is pretty with its bright orange colour, it’s super refreshing and absolutely delicious! The Italians have the right idea with this one. Not only is it really tasty, but it is also very simple to make. It’s perfect for enjoying as the weather heats up.
What I’ll never understand is that you can pay so much for an Aperol Spritz when you’re out at a bar. This cocktail is actually super simple and very affordable to make! It’s really not worth spending $16-$18 out – try and make one at home instead! You’ll be blown away by how easy it is.
So how do you make an Aperol Spritz? You’ll need:
- Prosecco (you really don’t need to splurge on this – you can get a decent Prosecco for under $10)
- Aperol (you’ll need half a shot to a shot, depending on how strong you want it)
- Soda water
- Ice cubes
- A slice of orange
All you have to do is fill a big glass with ice cubes, pour over the Aperol, prosecco and soda water, and garnish with a slice of orange. How much prosecco you want in the glass is entirely up to you – you can make it weak or strong! That’s what I love so much about this cocktail.
Lemon Spritz
Via La Capera
It wouldn’t be a list of fun wine cocktails for Spring without one of my personal favourites: lemon spritz. I found this refreshing spritz when we were in Italy staying in the Cinque Terra. It was as popular as Aperol Spritz there and so delicious that I think it would be rude not to share.
This cocktail is really easy to make and is basically the same as the Aperol Spritz. However, instead of Aperol, you use limoncello. Instead of an orange drink, you’ll get a bright yellow one. It’s perfect for those who prefer lemony flavours over orange, and is great for changing it up if you’ve been drinking a lot of Aperol Spritz!
Frosé
via Bon Appetit
Frosé definitely had a moment a year or two ago, and you can see why. It’s the ultimate refreshing drink, offering everything you love about rosé in a frozen drink. It makes it perfect as a wine cocktail for Spring. This is the perfect accompaniment to a catch up with friends – just pull together a jug and enjoy!
Although it seems like it might be a bit complicated, Frosé is actually quite easy to make. The wine won’t freeze completely because of the alcohol content, so what you get is sort of a delicious wine slushie. One thing to note: make sure you use a full-bodied and flavoured wine for this so that the flavours really shine through (like a Pinot Noir or Merlot). Look at the alcohol content to help you decide, and make sure you aren’t splurging on a pricey bottle!
If you want to give Frosé a go, check out this recipe. All you need is sugar, lemon juice and strawberries along with a whole bottle of wine. Just keep in mind you’ll need to prep this cocktail about 6 hours ahead of time!
Sangria
via Giphy
Another deliciously refreshing drink is Sangria. If you haven’t tried Sangria before (what are you doing?), it is a refreshing chilled wine cocktail from Spain. It is perfect for enjoying with friends as you can make a nice big batch of it and share it around.
The great thing about Sangria is it is something you can change up based on what you have on hand. Depending on what fruit you have you can add whatever you want, and you can also adjust the flavours with different add-ins to the wine (such as brandy, lemonade or orange juice). You can even make red wine or white wine sangria depending on what you prefer!
Some of my favourite recipes:
- Red Wine Sangria from Gimme Some Oven – This recipe has a lot of great options to pimp your sangria
- Traditional sangria from Minimalist Baker – This recipe is great if you want the traditional experience
- Easy White Wine Sangria from The Spruce Eats – If you want a good base
- Mango and Berry White Wine Sangria from Downshiftology – This recipe screams summer
In summary – four fun wine cocktails for Spring
I hope these four fun wine cocktails for Spring have inspired you for the next time you want a refreshing drink. As much as I love a good glass of wine, it’s good fun making up these wine cocktails for something different. You can also get away with using very affordable wine in them as you’ll be pimping them up. This makes them quite affordable to make if you’re catching up with a few friends!
What’s your favourite wine cocktail?