summer sangria-with mint, limoncello + fresh peach puree

This is what I’m learning as this summer passes before my eyes:

Savoring every single perfect day.  A must.

Making time for impromptu gatherings with good friends. Obligatory.

Getting the children outside daily to soak up every single ray of sunshine. No negotiation.

Listen folks, summer is passing by before our very eyes and to be 100% honest, I need to slow down so I can appreciate it. So I can relish every single breathtaking sunset and ho-hum summer song.

The weather on the East Coast has been undeniably perfect. I think there’s a reason why people seem generally pleased during warm summer months: sunshine just feels good. It makes everything sweeter. Frizzy hair and all.

This week, we’re invited to a summer shindig and I thought it would be fun to come up with a signature cocktail to share with our friends. Something fresh and tasty, with homegrown garden herbs and citrus fruit. I don’t like overpowering drinks loaded with sugar and boxed fruit juice, as I’d much rather sip on something light and refreshing- a little tart and a tad lemony with only a hint of sweetness. I always gravitate to Sangria in the summer, but it's hard to find a good one these days as most of them are overwhelmingly sweet. I'm a bit of a sangria purist so I aways find myself dissapointed. 

My brother and his gorgeous new bride just returned from their honeymoon in beautiful Italy and they brought back some authentic limoncello. When I saw it, I knew I had found the perfect addition to my summer cocktail.

I came up with a modern twist on a classic sangria and it was exactly as I had hoped- thirst-quenching and utterly delicious. It’s more of a sangria-mojito hybrid now that I think of it but whatever you choose to call it- it’s a wonderful ode to summer