Cherry Sangria with Cherry-Infused Simple Syrup

Nothing says summer like sangria on the porch. We usually make it with strawberries and lemons, but this was, oh-so-good too. The key: cherry infused simple syrup.

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Soak and wash your cherries. Aren’t these gorgeous?! They are fresh- picked from Levering Orchard in Ararat, Virginia.

First, remove stems and pit cherries. You can do this by hand, but what a pain! We bought a simple cherry pit remover and our daughter had a ball using the machine.

All you need is 1 cup fresh pitted cherries sliced in half; 1 cup water; and 3/4 cup sugar. Heat the ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer 10 minutes, but don’t bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and smash the cherries. You can use a potato masher or wooden spoon. Cool for 10 minutes and pour through a mesh strainer.

Chill before using and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Hint: This syrup works great for snow cones too!

To make the sangria, mix 1 bottle chilled white wine (I used Pinot Grigio), 1/2 cup white rum, 2 cans of club soda. Add 1/3-1/2 cup of the cherry simple syrup, depending on how sweet you want the sangria. Garnish with fresh cherries and mint or lemon balm.

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