Raise your hand if wine coolers were the first alcoholic beverage you ever tasted. Yeah, me too. I have only had them a couple of times, just enough to accustom my then uninitiated palate to the world of booze. (Cheap fruity wines such as Arbor Mist were also crucial in this role.) I moved on and slowly broadened my horizons to the world of “real” wine and mixed drinks.
Though I now associate wine coolers with those few furtive sips as a teenager and then later in college when I was surrounded by far more experienced drinkers, I think of them as a good idea with poor execution. Homemade wine coolers can right that wrong. Take a fruity white wine and blend with fresh fruit and a splash of vodka. Serve with ice and top off with a bit more wine, and suddenly you have a wine cooler worthy of sharing with guests other than college students. I think these would be so perfect for a girls’ night in or a summer bridal shower. I know we’ll continue to enjoy them throughout the summer. (Be sure to check out the peach version as well!)