Lemongrass & Blood Orange Wine Spritzer

This cocktail recipe requires a bit more time and effort for preparation than most of the ones I post, but sometimes it is simply worth the extra work for the delicious (and gorgeous!) end product. This cocktail recipe fro Kitchen Confidante fits the bill.

You may have noticed that I am posting wine spritzer recipes every Friday recently.  Weekends in the summer are the perfect time opportunity for a little day drinking, and I always love something a little lighter to drink during the day.  Wine spritzers work well as a light cocktail.

Lemongrass & Blood Orange Wine Spritzer

Lemongrass Syrup

2 stalks lemongrass (plus more for garnish, if desired)

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

* Trim off the ends of the lemongrass and cut into 2 inch pieces.

* Using a mortar and pestle or the back of the knife, crush the lemongrass stalks to release the juice.

* Combine the lemongrass, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

* Lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

* Let cool in the refrigerator and strain.

Spritzer

2 cups lemongrass syrup

1/2 cup blood orange juice

white wine (Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio work well)

seltzer water

* Fill four glasses with ice cubes.

* Add 1/2 cup lemongrass juice and 1/8 cup blood orange juice to each glass.

* Fill the remainder of the glass with white wine and a splash with seltzer water.

* Garnish with lemongrass stalk.

More Wine Spritzers to try this Summer:

Strawberry Lemonade Wine Spritzer

Lemon Wine Spritzer