Our October here in Wisconsin has felt like one long, lingering last burst of summer—no frost yet and the sunny daytime temperatures keep hitting 80 degrees F. No complaints, other than we could really use rain, but usually by this time of year we’re craving cocoa and cider around the first inaugural lighting of the woodstove. Instead we’re still celebrating with a dash of ice in our drinks.

This warm seasonal transition inspired our latest cocktail, Fall Harvest Fruit Sangria, blending the fruits of autumn with the need for a chilled drink and giving a nod to our delicious Farmstead Summer Sangria.

This recipe came about last week when we hosted a potluck party on the farm to commemorate the first season of Harvest Ninja, a local effort our son, Liam, initiated to rally kids to pick unpicked fruit trees and donate the bounty to Loaves and Fishes, a free monthly meal championing community around the dinner table. The kids have harvested more than 900 pounds of fruit to date and, in true “ninja” style, stirred up a lot of fun in the process. We live in an area with a high senior population, many inspiring gardeners of the Victory Garden era that now need help picking those well-established apple, pear and other fruit trees.

Cheers to an abundance of fruit, and kudos to harnessing the power of youth to both build community and put good food to good use that would have otherwise gone to waste. As with any sangria recipe, feel free to adjust ingredients to your taste. We tend to like our sangria on the sweeter side, hence the maple syrup, but feel free to adjust. The apple schnapps gives the drink a strong apple flavor that we like, but again, you can use any flavor. The canning jar serving method works great for potluck delivery.

Recipe: Fall Harvest Fruit Sangria

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rhine wine (or your preferred white wine)
• 1/4 cup apple schnapps (or other apple liquor)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup maple syrup, adjusted for sweetness
• splash apple cider
• 1 cinnamon stick
• splash soda water
• 1/4 cup chopped apples and pears (Leave the skins on to keep the fruit from getting too mushy.)

Preparation

Pour wine, schnapps, maple syrup and apple cider along with cinnamon stick in a pint-sized glass canning jar. Screw on lid and chill a few hours before serving.

Gently shake and add in splash soda water and chopped fruit just before serving. Some folks might like to add in a couple ice cubes.