Soak Fruit Skewers In Wine For A Boozy Appetizer

Ready to delight the guests at your next dinner party? Serve pretty fruit skewers that have been soaked in wine. Though this tasty treat requires planning for optimal infusion, taking time to soak strawberries in Prosecco or white wine can help take your hosting game to a whole new level. Colorful, flavorful pieces of wine-soaked fruit couldn't be easier to put together, but you'll need to factor in at least several hours for the fruits to rest in their boozy baths. 

Tailor your fruit skewers to match the seasons, and complement your chosen fruit pieces with alcohol that presents similar tasting notes. Stone fruits like peaches and apricots can be set into a dish filled with summery Assyrtiko wine, and darker fruits like figs and plums can be soaked in merlot, tawny ports, or sherries. Simply line up cut cubes of green and red apples, spear them with a skewer, and soak the pieces in red wine. 

Firmer fruits like nectarines, plums, grapes, and raspberries can be easily speared and will hold form when placed into a boozy bath of brandy, or you can alternate stacked slices of watermelon with peaches and blackberries to place in cognac. Should you need inspiration, use some of your favorite boozy beverage recipes as a compass: If it works for refreshing red sangria, it will most likely complement your attempts at making alcoholic fruit skewers. 

Once your palate has been opened to boozy fruit kebabs, you may want to explore other dimensions of flavor in your creations. Consider adding spices and flavors to the alcoholic infusions with pieces of lavender or rose, sticks of cinnamon, or cardamom pods. Build aesthetically pleasing skewers by considering the colors and sizes of the fruits you pierce. You can garnish the soaked fruit pieces with delicate mint leaves or quick sprinkles of flaky sea salt. Place pre-made kebabs in the fridge before the party starts and set them out when the first guest arrives.

Make more alcohol-infused fruit skewers than you think you will need. These pieces can be used as a quick drink garnish, as a topping for desserts like slices of baked ricotta cheesecake and dishes of homemade coffee gelato, or picked up to eat as a pre-dinner snack. Set aside a few extra skewers to enjoy as an afternoon treat or use to top tomorrow morning's breakfast spread of French toast, pancakes, oatmeal, or yogurt. This is a treat you don't need to wait until five o'clock to enjoy.