Black Cherry Lambrusco Floats

Fall may (unofficially) be here, but it's still warm in Chicago so let's savor the last of the summer weather before it starts snowing, shall we?

And what better way to beat (and even enjoy) the heat than with a frosty cocktail? I'm partnering with Lindy's Homemade Italian Ice today to bring you an easy recipe for an adults-only float! When I mentioned to my husband that I wanted to make a cocktail using Lindy's Italian Ice, I started throwing out a few ingredient ideas like prosecco or limoncello and he immediately said "lambrusco!" Alex isn't much of a wine drinker, but he does love Lambrusco, a northern Italian red wine that is unique in that it's sparkling and served chilled. And once he mentioned it, it seemed like the perfect wine to pair with Italian ice for a boozy float!

Lindy's Italian Ice is available in 11 different flavors so it was tough to choose which variety to use in this drink, but I ultimately selected black cherry because I thought it's deep flavor would pair really nicely with the flavor of red wine. The recipe is about as simple as that: add of scoop of black cherry Italian ice to a large wine glass along with a few frozen cherries and orange slices and then float it with a healthy amount of Lambrusco and a splash each of club soda and orange juice. The orange juice adds a bright citrus note to the richness of the cherry and red wine flavors. And the sparkling wine and bubbly club soda fizz up around the Italian ice, slowly melting it into the rest of the drink as you sip... like you'd want from any good float!

These floats are the perfect cocktails to enjoy while we transition from summer to fall: frosty to keep you cool on these last few hot days, but with the rich flavors of red wine, black cherry, and orange, which feel fall weather-appropriate. As the weather gets cooler, you could even throw in a cinnamon stick or two and turn these into holiday-ready floats. So, grab a box of Lindy's and a bottle of Lambrusco and toast to the remainder of summer!

Ingredients for every 1 drink:

• 3 oz. Lindy's Italian Ice - Black Cherry flavor (3 oz. = half of one individual cup)
• 5 frozen (pitted) cherries
• 4 1/4-inch quartered orange slices, divided
• 1 Tbs. orange juice
• 2 oz. club soda
• 6 oz. Lambrusco

Remove one Lindy's Italian Ice cup from the freezer and gently squeeze the Italian ice out of the cup onto a cutting board. Slice the Italian ice in half and place one half in a large wine glass.

Add cherries and 3 of the orange slices to the glass. Top with orange juice, club soda and Lambrusco. Garnish with remaining orange slice and serve.

Editor's Note: Complimentary products were provided in order to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.