Drinking a glass of wine is a delightful experience. There are plenty of varietals out there to suit all tastes. However, what about stepping things up and adding mixers to your wine? Perhaps you’ve never thought about doing this but it can add an adventurous twist to your drink. Here, we’ll give you nine mixer suggestions that will take you on a new journey.
1 – Mix Wine With Fruit Juice Or Fruit
Wine is made from grapes, so it isn’t surprising that fruit juice and fruit mix well with wine. In fact, they are a match made in heaven. You don’t have to stick to one juice or fruit either. You can mix and match and get some delicious flavors. It’s a great idea to experiment and see what you come up with. You could even invent a delicious cocktail.
Here we have a few mixes that we think you might like.
Sangria
Sangria is one of the first drinks that come to mind when you think about mixing wine with fruit. It is native to Spain and Portugal and is very much a summer holiday drink. The most common fruits added are orange and lemon slices. However, it does no harm to experiment, and good fruit choices include pears, cranberries, pomegranates, apples, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, blackberries, and pineapple. Red wine is used to make Sangria, and if you want an extra kick, add a tot of brandy or rum.
White Wine Apple Spritzer
To make this drink, add some apple juice to the wine and decorate it with apple slices. It looks pretty and tastes good. It’s up to you how much apple juice you add. It depends on how alcoholic you like your drink. There are no rules!
Mimosa
A Mimosa is a classic brunch drink. It makes the meal special especially as it is made with sparkling wine. A classic Mimosa has orange juice added but nothing is stopping you from choosing your favorite fruit juice. Mango, cranberry, watermelon, pomegranate, and pineapple juice all go well. Alternatively, you could add peach or strawberry puree.
2 – MIx Wine with Lemonade
Lemonade is an ideal mixer as it has a fruity citrus flavor and is light and refreshing. It is a great drink to have if you want to keep your alcohol consumption down. Here are a couple of drinks you might like to try.
Rose Lemonade Cocktail
Mixing rose wine with lemonade is a delicious summer drink. Add as much or as little lemonade as you want and put in a few cubes of ice.
Red Wine Cocktail
If you’re looking for something a little more potent, mix red wine, lemonade, and vodka. The drink is refreshing and has a kick to it.
3 – Mix Wine with Soda
Yes, you can mix wine with a soda, be it cola, Sprite, orangeade, or whatever you fancy. If you don’t want the thickness of a fruit juice but still want some sweetness, this is the solution. The fizz also adds a celebratory vibe to the drink. Here are some mixes you might like to try.
White Wine Spritzer
Simply mix white wine with soda water for a delightfully refreshing drink.
Red Wine Spritzer
Red wine is great mixed with Sprite.
Kalimotxo
The Kalimotxo cocktail is Spanish and is simply red wine and cola in equal parts.
4 – Mix Wine with Sparkling Water
If you want to dilute your wine but not lose the taste, sparkling water is a good choice. You might want to keep your alcohol consumption down or you might be driving. In this case, sparkling water is a good choice. It gives fizz as well, making the drink more fun. Here are some mixes that you might want to try.
Weinschorle
Weinschorle is a German cocktail and is simply equal parts of white wine and carbonated water. It is ideal for those who want to keep their sugar consumption low as well as their calorie count. It’s a great drink if you enjoy wine but are on a diet.
Skinny Sangria Spritzer
So you like Sangria with lots of different fruits but you are worried about your weight. It is a morish drink after all. The solution is to add some sparkling water to the mix. Make a big punch bowl if you’re having a party and put in a couple of bottles of red wine and a big bottle of sparkling water with lots of fruit. Nobody will know the difference.
5 – Mix Wine with Spices
You don’t usually drink wine hot but mulled wine is delicious and a good choice during the winter months, especially during the holidays, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a warming and feel-good drink. The combination of spices can be whatever you want but mulled wine usually contains cinnamon and cloves. Here is a recipe for mulled wine.
Mulled Wine
Mulled wine is a drink you make in bulk, heating it up in a saucepan for a minimum of 15 minutes. If you want more intense flavors, simmer it for longer. First, pour the wine into the saucepan. How much you use depends on how many people you are catering for. If it’s a big crowd, you will want a couple of bottles at least. To this, add some brandy to give it a bit of a kick. How much you add will depend on how potent you want the drink to be. Then add the flavorings. Orange slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, and cardamom pods are a good mix. You also need to add a sweetener. You can use sugar, maple syrup, or honey. When you have finished heating it, strain it in a sieve and then serve garnished with slices of orange. Other aromatics that you could use include fresh ginger slices, nutmeg, allspice, and lemon zest.
6 – Mix Wine with Tea
Both wine and tea are popular drinks but have you ever thought of mixing them? Chances are that you haven’t but they do combine well. However, it is best to use iced tea, not hot. Green tea works particularly well with white wine while rich full-bodied reds suit black teas with a dark, caramel, or malt flavor. Here’s a recipe that you can try.
Iced Tea Sangria
White wine is best for this recipe but you can use red wine if you prefer. Make sure that the tea is cold before you mix it with the wine. Generally, you would put in more tea than wine but it’s up to your taste and how alcoholic you want the beverage to be. You will need to add a sweetener. Honey or a simple syrup will work. The drink is enhanced by the addition of fresh fruit. Add chopped strawberries, nectarines, mangoes, or a mixture of all of them.
7 – Mix Wine with Ginger Beer
Ginger beer is a delicious spicy drink although it isn’t quite what it says. Yes, it has ginger in it but it isn’t beer and is non-alcoholic. It is a great mix with wine as it gives it a spicy kick. Here are a couple of mixes that you might want to try.
Ginger & Red Wine Fizz
This is a drink for those who like their beverage to be sweet and spicy. Mix equal amounts of red wine and ginger beer and add a couple of teaspoons of triple sec for extra sweetness and a bit of a kick.
White Wine Ginger Beer Sangria
This is a refreshing and citrusy drink with a kick from the ginger. Mix together a dry white wine, ginger, simple syrup, ginger beer, and orange, lemon, and lime juice. It’s a great summer drink.
8 – Mix Wine with Spirits
This is probably the best mixer of all and there are so many combinations that you can try. You don’t even have to put in one spirit. You can try two or three and experiment with different mixtures. Here are a few cocktails to try.
Wine and Whiskey Cocktail
For this cocktail, mix two parts wine with one part whiskey. Add some lemon juice and simple syrup. Any whiskey will do, be it Scottish, Irish, or American. However, a light-bodied wine, like Pinot Noir or Beaujolais is best so that it doesn’t overpower the whiskey.
Call Me a Cab Vodka Lemonade
This is a delightfully refreshing summer drink that needs to be served on ice. It is made with Cabernet Sauvignon, half as much vodka, and lemonade. How much lemonade you put in is up to you. You can make the drink as strong or as weak as you want.
Red Wine Margarita
A margarita is a popular drink so why not try this twist and mix the tequila and triple sec with red wine and serve on ice? A light-bodied wine like Beaujolais works well.
New York Star
Mix together Bourbon, a fruity red wine such as Zinfandel or Gamay, lemon juice, simple syrup, and lemon zest. It is an interesting drink as the red wine floats on top offering two layers of flavor that integrate as you drink.
Red, White, & Night
This is a delicious punch for a celebration. Mix together vodka, Cabernet Sauvignon, lemon juice, and simple syrup, and then garnish with blueberries or raspberries. It makes a great 4th of July celebration drink.
9 – Mix Wine with Chocolate
This might be a surprising combination but it does work. After all, people do eat chocolate while enjoying a glass of wine so why not mix the two in a drink? We think that it is a delicious mix and suggest that you try out this recipe.
Red Wine with Hot Chocolate
Heat together semisweet chocolate chips, milk, cream, and red wine. Merlot, Shiraz, and Cabernet Sauvignon are all good choices. You can add a bit of sugar if you like a sweeter drink. When you take it off the heat, stir in vanilla and a little salt. It is rich, chocolatey, and boozy. It is a hot chocolate drink for adults to enjoy on a cold winter’s day.
Final Thoughts
We hope that we have introduced you to a whole new world of wine drinking. While wine is great on its own, there are many mixers you can add to have something different. Whether you want something fruity, refreshing, spicy, or with a kick, we think that we have got you covered.
