Sangria Season Is Here

As summer approaches, I start to imagine spending warm afternoons on a breezy porch, sipping something light and fruity. It’s a sure sign that Sangria season has arrived.

Evoking memories of your parents’ block and pool parties, Sangria has become a mainstay of summer. No party or barbeque is complete without a pitcher of Sangria filled with orange and lime slices, ready to refresh thirsty partygoers.

Sangria is a Spanish punch that combines wine with fruit, a little sugar, and some spices. It was created (and beloved) by Southern European peasants during the Midde Ages - a time when alcohol was a safer bet than the local water supply. Spain did the rest of the world a favor by presenting it at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, where it was an immediate success.

If you’ve never had Sangria or maybe you have but your experience was less than wonderful, I’d like to invite you to give it a (another) try.

Although there is a “traditional” recipe involving red wine, lemons, apples, cinnamon, and sugar, Sangria is one of those fantastically versatile things that can be anything you’d like it to be, using whatever happens to be in season or can be found at your grocery store.

Replace the red wine with white or sparkling wine, hard cider, fruit juice, or soda water.
Use a different sweetener, like agave or maple syrup. Or make a rich simple syrup with 2 parts sugar (brown or white) and 1 part water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep it in the fridge, it’ll last a long time.
Add berries, apricots, oranges, peaches, or cranberries.
Fresh herbs - mint, basil, rosemary, and thyme are great additions to Sangria and make brilliant garnishes.
Include an ounce or two of orange liquor, gin, rum, or brandy.
Throw in any whole spices - cinnamon, cardamom, star anise, peppercorns, bay leaf, allspice, etc. you find in your spice drawer.

Mix it all up and taste it. See what it needs (likely a little more sugar) and fix it. Serve it over ice and garnish it with a slice of fruit.

Tips for Better Sangria

Make an all-purpose Sangria syrup with the sugar, fruit juices, and spices, cooking them in a saucepan on the stove until the sugar dissolves and the spices are fragrant. This syrupy base can be used to mix with all kinds of wines, ciders, and fizzy water to make different kinds of Sangria. It keeps well in the fridge for a week or more, so you are ready in case of Sangria emergencies.
Strain the fruit and spices. Too many otherwise delicious Sangrias have become bitter from letting fruit (particularly slices of lime!) languish for too long in the mix. A few minutes to infuse the flavor is fine, but don’t let your Sangria take on the taste of the rind.
Use fresh or frozen fruit to garnish the pitcher and the glasses. Choose neutral-flavored but nice-looking fruit like apples, berries, and pears. If you going to use citrus, peel it so the Sangria doesn’t taste like the bitter pith.
Add ice to the glass, not to the Sangria pitcher. The ice will melt and dilute your Sangria, and cover the outside of the pitcher with watery sweat beads. Nobody wants that.

Sangria is a drink with a world of possibilities and might be the most food-friendly and fun drink around. Why not make a pitcher this weekend? It is, after all, Sangria Season.

Cheers -

Chelly

TheGoodFoodProject.co

This recipe comes from legendary chef, Jose Andres. Feel free to play with the ingredients here. The Sangria syrup recipe is terrific and can be mixed with wine - red, white, or rose, a bubbly Prosecco or Cava, a tangy hard cider, or mix the Sangria syrup with the simple syrup and fizzy water, omitting the booze entirely, for an outstanding Zero-proof cocktail.

Sangría Blanca

Adapted From Jaleo by José Andrés

Makes 1 32-ounce pitcher

13 ounces white wine (about half of a 750ml bottle)
9 ounces Sangría Base (see recipe below)
10 ounces soda water
Spring of mint and lemon, lime and orange wheels, for garnish

Combine wine, sangria base, and seltzer in a pitcher. Fill 4 glasses with cubed ice, and pour sangría into each. Place lemon. lime, and orange on top. Garnish with mint. Serve immediately.

Sangría Base
2.25 ounces simple syrup
4.75 ounces Sangría Syrup (see recipe below)
1 ounce orange liquor
1 ounce dry gin

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside until making the sangria.

Sangría Syrup
Makes 1 quart*
3 cups orange or other fruit juice
¾ cup lemon juice
3.5 ounces sugar
1 bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 bunch fresh mint, destemmed
Zest from 1 orange
Zest from 1 lemon

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and allow to cool. Strain through a fine sieve and store in a sealed container until ready to use.

*Note: This recipe makes enough syrup for a few batches, but it can be used for many types of sangría. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.

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