However, if you follow this simple recipe at home, you can't go wrong.
If you want to be adventurous, you can change most elements of this recipe. As long as you use wine (but why does it have to be red?), something to dilute it (it doesn't have to be lemon based) something to sweeten it (would honey work?) and some liquor to make it hit home, then what you have is still sangria.
However, if you don't sweeten it or add liquor, you have a different drink - tinto de verano (which is actually what most tourist bars will serve you anyway). And then if you use Coke rather than lemon, you have calimocho (or kalimotxo). Read more about sangria alternatives.
If you're making this at home, you may want to choose some Spanish dishes to go with it.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- A bottle of cheap red wine*
- A similar quantity (or slightly less) of 7up, Sprite or other sparkling lemon drink
- A glass of liquor (ideally brandy, whiskey or cointreau)
- A peach
- An apple
- An orange
- 5-10oz of sugar
- Cinnamon
Preparation:
- If you plan your sangria a day in advance, you could chop the fruit and soak in the liquor in the fridge overnight, though this is far from necessary. Any liquor will do (well, perhaps not vodka or gin). If you are worried about mixing your drinks, stick to grape-based beverages and choose brandy. You can be adventurous with the fruit - kiwi is popular and I've seen banana used. But peach is always good - the flavor nicely infuses into the drink.
- For presentation reasons, you should strain the day-old fruit before preparing the sangria and add fresh fruit shortly before serving.
- Pour the wine, liquor and lemonade into a punch bowl and add lots of ice. If you are preparing immediately before serving and you'd like it to stay slightly fizzy, pour the lemonade into the bowl first and pour the other ingredients in slowly.
- Add half the sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Taste. If it doesn't taste sweet enough, add more sugar. You'd be surprised how much sugar is necessary.
- Add ice and fresh fruit.
- Serve (perhaps while listening to these flamenco artists?)
Note that the quantities are not very exact. There is no science to making sangria. Just see what tastes best!
