Octavia Spencer Shared Her 3-Ingredient Red Wine Cocktail With Me, and Now It’s All My Friends and I Want to Drink (So Good!)

I had the joy and privilege of competing on Food Network’s Family Recipe Showdown with my dad, which aired last month. Everything about it was a dream. I met — and cooked for — Octavia Spencer, Eric Stonestreet, and legendary chef Edgar “Dook” Chase. We won (sorry, spoiler!). And I got to experience it all with my dad.

For our first challenge, we made three dishes and a cocktail for a Southern cocktail party. Before the judges tasted our food, Octavia shared her personal favorite cocktail — a little something she calls an O’Timber. Aside from competing on the show (and, you know, winning $10,000), the best thing to come from the episode was discovering this magical three-ingredient cocktail made with diet cola, red wine, and frozen strawberries. It’s now become one of my go-to drinks — here’s how you make it. 

A big part of the show hinges on Octavia’s inability to cook — but love for food. (That’s why Chef Dook Chase is there!) On the show, she shared that although she doesn’t cook, she considers herself a bit of a mixologist and has a go-to secret cocktail recipe she calls an O’Timber — named by her friends because it puts Octavia to sleep.

While she said she “can’t share all of the ingredients,” (meaning, brands or ratios) she did reveal that it’s made with the best red wine you can find, a diet cola of your choice, and frozen strawberries. That’s it.

She made a couple O’Timbers for herself and Chase, and after the first sip he said, “Oh, I like that.” (That was the same reaction I had when I rushed home to make it after filming.)

I was hesitant about the combination of soda and wine (although Spain has a similar cocktail called a Kalimotxo), but the two ingredients actually work well together. I prefer using a red wine that’s a bit more full-bodied, like a Cabernet Sauvignon (I like the Joel Gott 815 Cab), which stands up to and complements the sweet carbonation of Diet Coke (my go-to). It’s sweet, complex, and makes for a stellar cocktail. Plus, the frozen strawberries don’t water it down like ice and add a punch of fruity, berry flavor. It’s like a bubbly version of a red sangria! It’s ingenious.

Although Octavia didn’t share step-by-step directions, when I made this cocktail at home I followed a classic Kalimotxo recipe — it’s really straightforward to put together. Instead of using ice, the cocktail begins by filling a glass with frozen strawberries. I then pour over the red wine to the halfway point of my glass, and then top it off with Diet Coke. I give the mixture a little stir and viola! The easiest and tastiest cocktail ever. 

It’s sweet, earthy, and takes mere seconds to come together. It’s truly the best thing you can make for yourself this summer. 

Buy: Joel Gott 815 Cabernet Sauvignon, $9.99 for 375 mL at Total Wine; Diet Coke, $1.09 for 12 ounces at Instacart; Wyman Frozen Strawberries, $10.99 (on sale) for 3 pounds at Instacart 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it here: Octavia Spencer Shared Her 3-Ingredient Red Wine Cocktail With Me, and Now It’s All My Friends and I Want to Drink (So Good!)