Spicy Sangria

A couple of weekends ago, I went to a small get-together/cookout and everyone was asked to bring a homemade sangria or food. So I chose sangria because it’s super easy. Fruit + wine + sweetener = sangria. Done. Plus, I had a little something special in mind.

So here’s the sneaky part(s). For my sweetener, I used agave nectar instead of sugar, and some Sneaky Pete’s Grape beverage in place of white grape juice in this recipe.

The term “oat beverage” may cause you to think that Sneaky Pete’s is a thick beverage, but it isn’t at all. It has the same consistency of juice and it tastes like juice. So you may be asking, “why wouldn’t I just buy juice then?”. Good question. Sneaky Pete’s has fewer calories than regular juice options (40 calories per 12 oz compared to 240 calories in regular juices) and contains 3 grams of fiber in an 12 oz serving. I told you Pete was sneaky!

The sangria was a hit and no one realized that this was a lower calorie, lower sugar variation. The use of Serrano pepper really surprised people and made for a fun conversation topic. Feel free to leave the peppers out if you’d like and if you can’t find  Sneaky Pete’s in your grocery store, sub in a low-calorie white grape juice.

Sneaky Spicy Sangria

Adapted from:  Raspberry and Serrano Sangria

Ingredients:
1 cup blueberries, rinsed
1 white peach, diced
1 lime, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup agave nectar, to taste
1 Serrano pepper, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 bottle Viogner or Gewurztraminer, chilled
8 fl oz Sneaky Pete’s Grape Oat Beverage
8 fl oz seltzer water

Directions:
1. In a large pitcher, add fruit and agave nectar.
2. Add Serrano pepper and then pour wine over fruit.
3. Add Sneaky Pete’s Grape beverage, or comparable white grape juice, then chill in refrigerator for at least one hour.
4. Stir ingredients in pitcher and add seltzer water before serving.