True story: I still have Manischewitz left over from the kickass Hanukkah party my fiancé and I threw last year.
I say it was kickass because it was. The apartment complex security arrived shortly after dinner, when our game of "drinking dreidel" (we're still working on a name) got a little too rowdy. It was 8:30 p.m. on a Friday. Suffice it to say, we didn't get to pop open all of the bottles of the bottom-shelf kosher wine that our guests so kindly brought. Mostly because we had to move the party to the bar, but also because Manischewitz tastes pretty bad and there were plenty of better drinks to be had, including but not limited to an entire tub full of Dr. Brown's sodas that paired just beautifully with whiskey. Like I said, it was a kickass party.
Going into Passover, I've vowed to start and finish those giant bottles of Schewy (still working on a name for this, too). We've got a few bottles MCG -- a concord grape varietal -- and CWC -- a cream white concord wine that I didn't even know existed -- that need to be gone immediately. Since my past experiences have taught me that MCG is impossibly sweet, I though it'd be perfect for sangria. It's kind of like turning lemons into lemonade, only the complete opposite.
I started by chilling the bottles, because the thought of how syrupy they may have been after sitting in my apartment for the past few months absolutely disgusted me. Then, I poured each into a pitcher and added tons of ice for good measure. Next, diced apples, nectarines, oranges, and mixed berries were thrown in (but really any fruit you have on hand will do). I finished with a few splashes of Cointreau (which apparently is kosher for Passover) and about a cup of citrus sparkling water from Trader Joe's (only the best for this Schewy sangria) in each.
After an hour in the fridge, it was time to taste my science experiment. Surprisingly, they weren't half bad. I'd take them over a regular glass of M$chwtiz (I said I'm working on it!) anyday. The white sangria was a little more pleasant, but I think some more tart fruit -- like grapefruit, perhaps -- would do wonders for both, especially the ultra-saccharine red.
In the end, I'd say the experiment was a success, at least if you want to keep kosher for Passover by the pool this weekend.
