Drinks need recipes too...

In an effort to get Becky's fajita recipe, somebody I don't know came up with the idea of recipe day, which I saw on Emily's blog, so here we go. And since sangria season is here, what better recipe to post?

750 ml cheap merlot (I'm partial to Vendage or Yellow Tail)
Carton of orange juice (pulp free for me)
~5 seconds worth of bourbon (pour freely, not a trickle)
~3 seconds worth of triple sec (pour freely, not a trickle)
~2 tsp sugar
1 orange, sliced (don't peel it)
1 Granny Smith apple, sliced (kind of thin, so it soaks up the sangria)

1. Mix the OJ and merlot first. I used to do a 50/50 mix, but now it's more like 70(merlot)/30(OJ). Depends on how potent you want it to be. You might want to reserve a little of the merlot so you can adjust the flavor, if necessary (see step 4)
2. Add the bourbon, triple sec, and sugar. Clearly this is not an exact science and again depends on preference.
3. Stir well.
4. Before adding the fruit, have a taste. If it's too juicy, add some more merlot. If it's too winey, add some more OJ. If you don't get a good whiff of bourbon, add some more bourbon. If it's not sweet enough, add some more sugar and/or triple sec.
5. Repeat step 4 as needed.
   
6. Add the fruit.
7. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to let the fruit soak in and serve (don't worry about keeping it refrigerated while serving, it's pretty good at room temperature and after a glass no one will notice anyway)
8. At the end of the pitcher, you will be left with a messload of alcohol-soaked fruit. And eating it will be the equivalent of drinking another glass, so I'm just warning you.

Enjoy!