Prep Time: 5 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:
- *Red wine in Spain can be extremely cheap. When making sangria in Spain, I avoid the stuff that sells for 50c a carton (it gives a nasty headache). In most other countries, the cheapest you can get is usually OK. You are adding so much to it that anything expensive would be a waste. However, for that authentic Spanish feel, a wine from Spain would be best. You can buy a cheap Rioja (the quintessential Spanish wine) from Wine Messenger.
- Chop the fruit and soak in the liquor in the fridge overnight (optional). 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.
- Pour the wine, liquor & fruit 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 serve.
Note that the quantities are not very exact. There is no science to making sangria. Just see what tastes best!
