Charred Peach Rosé Sangria

Every season, we make it our mission to come up with at least one batchable cocktail that's as great for parties as it is for weeknight dinners. Last summer, it was a pitcher of cherry-infused rum; during fall, we were all over this boozy cider slushie; fast-forward to this summer, and we're taking an old favorite out for a spin: adding grilled stone fruit to sangria for a match made in heaven.

So stop what you're doing and try this charred peach rosé sangria (see the recipe), and don't be surprised if your liquor cabinet starts to collect dust as summer winds down.

The beautiful thing about this originally Spanish beverage is that it can be made however you like it. Traditionally, sangria is made with red wine, but white and rosé are also common bases. No rules means throwing whatever you have in season into the mix, whether it's apples and pears or citrus and herbs.

Each summer, restaurants and bars around the country explore new ways to celebrate this picture-perfect drink, and we're all in favor. At Casa Pública, a new Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn, beverage director/GM Meaghan Montagano pours a large-format sangria made with rosé and tequila. Elsewhere in Brooklyn, Sarah Morrisey, beverage director of Pig Beach and Pig Bleeker (formerly of Dutch Kills and Dear Irving), makes a sangria that's already become a favorite among New Yorkers; Morrisey mixes Wölffer No. 139 dry rosé cider with vodka, peaches, mint and strawberries for a drink that "isn't too boozy but definitely has a kick."

Over in Manhattan at the just-opened Upper East Side location of Quality Eats, head bartender Bryan Schneider has come up with a French Press Sangria, in which he infuses citrus and berries in (you guessed it) a French press for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, he strains out the fruit and pours the wine over ice for a clear sangria that is still packed with fruity flavor. (Of course, you could leave the fruit in if you want.)

Across the country at Alma at The Standard, guests can order sangria made with natural wine and tequila while hanging poolside. Partner Ashleigh Parsons uses a "light, crisp Provençal rosé" for the base and tequila, because, as The Standard Bar Manager, Steve LaFountain, says, "agave spirits are so hot right now." And "despite it having a good amount of alcohol," he adds, "the sangria is refreshing with notes of citrus and a nice dry finish." And at the Holiday House in Palm Springs, the restaurant is making a sangria with everyone's favorite Italian bitter, Aperol.

Since wood-fired cooking and grilled everything are still two of the hottest restaurant trends around—and a few of our favorites—we've decided to char stone fruits on the grill before soaking them in another must-have: rosé. Peaches and cherries hold up over the heat, and the burnt flavor imparts a complexity that's often lacking in the overly sweet pitchers of sangria that give the drink a bad reputation.

As cookbook author Andrea Nguyen tells The New York Times when explaining the appeal of blackened and burnt flavors, "Charred food always draws you in more, whets your appetite." In the case of this sangria, it begs for a second pour.

Use this recipe as a framework for experimenting with different fruits on the grill and mix in varying flavors of brandy, too. For inspiration, see below for a list of new sangrias at restaurants and bars across the country. Just remember there's a reason they serve sangria in pitchers: One glass is never enough.

This month, we're taking you Beyond BBQ into the deep, dark, drool-worthy corners of the 'cue world, from Seoul to South Carolina. Smoke will get in your eyes (and your cocktail) as we explore the best pits, tips, roasts and rigs—you might even see a vegetable or two along the way.