Two of our fave things smooshed together.

What’s better than wine? Wine cocktails! They’re the best of both worlds (in moderation, of course) and a great way to use up an open bottle of wine. From vermouth beauties and little sparkling numbers to a couple of cheeky sherry delights, we’ve got all things wine and cocktail covered. Lucky you!

Below, we round up a few of our personal fave cocktails that feature wine in different ways. If you’re looking for the best spirits and liqueurs that mix with wine, these ideas will get you started – and there are a heap more to choose from, if the mood strikes, too. You can thank us later.

The New York Sour is finished with a red wine float

1. New York Sour

Loving a Whiskey Sour is all well and good. BUT what if that Whiskey Sour had a lovely red wine float? Now that we’ve got your attention, let us introduce you to the New York Sour. It's basically a Whiskey Sour, but with a creative flair – a red wine float. Not only does it add an interesting depth to this drink, but it also looks super pretty. Sounds good? Peep the recipe here. One little tip from us is to drizzle your red wine over the back of a barspoon to create that recognisable ‘float.’

2. Cherry Christmas Spritz

This just squeaks in as a great cocktail for Chrissy in July! How wonderful. This beauty is wonderfully fruity, complex and just a little bit (or a lot) festive. And best of all? Well, it’s got a cheeky 30mL of Lambrusco (yes, Lambrusco is cheeky). Think bright red fruits, bubbles, amaretto and dry gin all mixed together to create a very cherry Christmas (in July). This recipe calls for homemade cherry syrup, but if you’re no good with pots and pans or cherries aren’t around, a store-bought syrup can be the cherry on top of your Christmas Spritz, too. Check out the full recipe here.

The Cherry Christmas Spritz is great for any time

Mulled Wine, finished with cinnamon and star anise

3. Mulled Wine

If July isn’t the perfect month for Mulled Wine, we have no idea what is. If we’ve lost you, July is cold and Mulled Wine is served hot – a perfect match. Mulled Wine is a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants (or whatever that expression is) kind of wine cocktail, so much so that it doesn't really have a stock-standard recipe – it’s kind of like a kitchen-sink cocktail. But we reckon red wine is a must, brandy also, and orange, tea and some good sturdy spices like cinnamon and star anise should be thrown in, too. A word of warning – don’t overheat your Mulled Wine otherwise you’ll burn off your alcohol. We’ve got a little template recipe here for your perusal, but feel free to mix it up.

4. Second Serve

It’s SHERRRYYYY time. We’re very excited about this one – we’re quite the sherry fan-girls here at Dan’s Daily, so the Second Serve is straight up our alley. A delectable mix of fino sherry, Amaro Montenegro, fresh lime and soda, it’s a bit like a sexed-up Highball that had a dalliance with a Spritz. And friends, it is bloody delish. We’ve jotted down some notes and a recipe here, but feel free to ‘rally’ with the ingredients. More fino? Hell yeah. More amaro? Sure thing. More bubbles? Go nuts. It’s as easy as Serena beating all her opponents (because tennis). Game, set and match.

The Second Serve combines sherry, amaro, fresh lime and soda

The White Mandarin Sangria served in a traditional punch bowl

5. White Mandarin Sangria

Unlike regular Sangria, which gets a bad rap for covering up cheap wine or bringing a tired wine back to life, this White Mandarin Sangria is all about using top-notch ingredients. We’ve created this legend mix (if we do say so ourselves) that heroes rich chardonnay (or chenin blanc). Its bold, ripe tropical flavours are welcome and complex, while still keeping everything light and refreshing, with the limoncello adding some acidity and a zesty kick. Get a load of our fave Sangria here.