Sangria

The wonderful, beautiful, summery drink Sangria is a must have at least once for most people who visit Spain!

You can choose to drink Sangria for lunch, perhaps followed by a good nap on the beach. Or in the evening as an aperitif before or with the meal, perhaps also after the meal as a drinkable dessert?

No matter when you drink it, Sangria is wonderfully refreshing, tasty and oozes holiday cheer!

What is Sangria?

Sangria comes in many flavors and recipes, but one thing is always in a Sangria – lots of fresh fruit!

The name Sangria comes from the word Sangre , which means blood. This refers to the color, as the very classic Sangria is made with red wine.

It is typically served in a large jug that is placed in the middle of the table, and then it is poured into wine glasses or tall drinking glasses and slurped with straws. A long spoon is also included, so you can fish the beautiful pieces of fruit out of the glass!

There is a bit of disagreement about the story of the Sangria, but it has been boiled down to two possible stories:

In the 18th century, there was a ban on drinking alcohol in Spain, so British sailors decided to mask their wine with honey, spices and fruit so that the alcohol could not be smelled or tasted.

Or, in the 19th century, farmers from Spain and Portugal decided to use the raw materials they had available, namely wine, oranges and apples, and made a wonderful drink from it! Nicely refreshing in the summer heat, it gave a little extra energy for the hard work in the field.

What origin it is, then, is not certain. But one thing is certain, Sangria was invented in Spain, and is one of Spain's national drinks!

How to make Sangria?

The classic Spanish recipe for Sangria consists of red wine, brandy, sugar, orange juice and fruit. Since then, Sangria has spread to most of the world, and for this reason there are an incredible number of varieties to this day!

It can be, for example, Sangria with white wine or Rosé, Sangria with cava, Sangria with vodka, or perhaps the luxury version with several different types of liqueurs and alcohols?

Nowadays, mineral water or soda water is also often added for fizzy drinks, and various spices such as cinnamon, anise or vanilla. You can also come across Sangria with mint, lemon balm or even rosemary or basil!

And of course all types of fruit are also welcome! Sangria invites you to make your own mark. The classic fruits used are orange, apple and peach, but you can add anything from strawberries, kiwi, melon, pineapple or grapes, yes all fruits are actually allowed!

Which wine is best for Sangria?

Which wine you use is entirely up to you, so just use your favorite wine. In the dawn of time, Rioja wines were often used for Sangria, but you can actually use almost anything, from fine wine to less fine wine. If you have to go for something, choose a wine that is not too acidic and preferably with a delicious strong taste, such as a Cabernet or Merlot.

For white wines, a Chardonnay is perfectly fine, or whatever else you have in the fridge. Of bubbly cases, there is a multitude of expressions you can play with depending on which bubbles you use, so try your hand and experiment!

As you may be able to sense, the framework is not that tight around Sangria at all. This is also why Sangria is not described as a cocktail, although it may resemble one. But it doesn't have a definite recipe, and it wasn't created by a bartender. That's why it's not a cocktail! Sangria is created jointly by many different people who enjoy this wonderful drink, and this is expressed in the many delicious varieties. Sangria is also popular in Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador and Venezuela, and here they have their own fantastic twists too!

Having said that, I will still venture to give an example of a recipe. Then you have something to start from, and you can always adjust to taste!

Sangria recipe

Ingredients:

• A bottle of red wine (750 ml)
• 100 ml Brandy, Cointreau or other liqueur/spirit
• 500 ml Fanta, Sprite or orange juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• A big apple
• A large orange
• A lemon
• Two peaches or nectarines

Course of action:

• Cut all the fruits into bite-sized pieces. Put the fruit in a large jug (approx. 1.5 l) together with the cinnamon stick and your chosen spirit. The whole thing is stirred around with a long spoon and left to infuse for 5-10 minutes.

• When the fruits have dried, pour in the red wine, then soda or juice and stir the whole thing once more. Your Sangria is now almost ready!

You can pretty much drink it now, but it will be at its best if it is left to soak for a few hours in the fridge.

• When your Sangria has cooled, you take it out of the fridge and put ice cubes in. THEN you have the most delicious ready-to-drink Sangria! Welcome and salud from Elenas!

When do you drink Sangria?

If you also miss the taste of holidays and Spain at home, it is obvious to throw yourself into homemade Sangria!

Sangria is perfect for cooling down in the summer heat, for the barbecue or for tapas. It is also wonderful as a cozy drink on the terrace when you sit outside for a long time in the balmy summer nights!

Sangria is easy to make for many people, so it's also perfect for summer outdoor parties! You can optionally make your Sangria in a large drink dispenser with tap or in a large punch bowl, so that you and your guests can sip ice-cold Sangria all day long. Look IT'S summer!

If you don't want to make Sangria yourself, of course we also have a few varieties of ready-to-drink, ready-made Sangria in bottles right here on Elena's webshop!

You can either just drink them like any other wine in a wine glass, or you can pour them into a pitcher with ice cubes and fruit. Then you can easily get the authentic Sangria experience at home!

Whatever your approach, you'll surely want to enjoy Spain's amazing invention, Sangria!

Health and enjoyment!