Sangria is a popular cocktail in Spain, an essential attribute of hot parties. He fell in love not only with the locals, but also with the inhabitants of the entire Mediterranean coast. This is not surprising, because the taste of the drink is light and pleasant. Below is a classic recipe for making sangria, as well as the original variations of this cocktail.
How did sangria come about?
This drink appeared in southern Spain about four hundred years ago. To save from the sweltering heat, fruit pickers carried a flask of red wine with them, which was diluted with spring water. Such an improvised cocktail made it possible to quench thirst well, without leading to severe intoxication. Later, the juice of collected fruits was added to sangria to give different tastes.
The drink that appeared as a result of such experiments has been giving pleasure not only to residents of Spain for more than half a century. In 1964, the World Exhibition was held in New York. It was after this event that the sangria drink became widely known, the reviews of which were extremely positive. So they learned about him in the countries of Europe and beyond.
Currently, the production of sangria is established at an industrial level. However, Spanish reviews indicate that a drink made at home is much tastier and healthier. After all, only in this case can you be sure of the quality of the incoming ingredients. And artificial components and dyes completely kill the true taste of the drink and often even harm your health. Moreover, preparing sangria at home is not difficult.
How to drink sangria?
According to reviews of the cocktail, sangria is the perfect drink for a picnic, which gathered a large cheerful company and where the atmosphere of joy and good mood reigns. In a hot summer, it is recommended to cool this cocktail before use. And in winter, you should serve the drink warm, adding warming spices: cinnamon, nutmeg or cloves.
Enjoy a cocktail better immediately after its preparation. You should use glasses for a punch when serving a drink such as sangria (photo above). They are glass dishes on a thick short leg. But this is regarding table setting rules. If everything happens at a picnic, then, of course, regular circles will do. The main thing is the right mood in the spirit of the Spanish siesta.
In the case when a sangria drink is prepared using sparkling wine or carbonated components, it should be poured into champagne glasses.
Below are the original recipes for this unforgettable cocktail.
Sangria. Classic recipe
Essential ingredients for making a classic drink:
- dry red wine - 750 milliliters;
- Cointreau liquor - 60 milliliters;
- sugar - 50 grams;
- mineral water without gas - 500 milliliters;
- orange - 1 piece;
- lemon - 1 piece.
To prepare a drink such as sangria, the classic recipe involves the following sequence of actions:
- Boil water and add sugar to it. Stir until completely dissolved. This is done in order to subsequently avoid the precipitation of sugar crystals in the finished drink. Leave the syrup to cool.
- Wash the lemon and orange. Slice together with zest. Put fruits in a deep bowl.
- Add chilled syrup and liquor to citrus fruits, mix and put in the refrigerator for two hours. This time is enough to saturate the drink with a fruity aroma.
- After this time, it is recommended to slightly crush the fruits in the prepared mixture with a wooden spatula. This will make the drink even tastier and more aromatic.
- Pour wine into the mixture and mix with the same wooden spatula.
- Pour sangria into a glass jug. Add ice cubes to glasses before serving.
Sparkling Sangria. Homemade recipe
Essential ingredients for making sparkling sangria:
- brandy - 125 milliliters;
- orange liquor "Curacao" or "Cointreau" - 125 milliliters;
- white sparkling wine - 750 milliliters;
- sugar - 50 grams;
- white grapes - 1 bunch;
- orange - 1 piece;
- lemon - 1 piece;
- grapefruit - 1 piece.
The process of making a cocktail:
- Slice the orange, grapefruit and lemon without peeling. Put citrus fruits in a deep bowl.
- Add grapes to the fruit. Add liquor, brandy and sugar. Using a wooden spatula, mix the resulting mixture until the grains are completely dissolved. Put it in the refrigerator for two hours.
- After that, gently squeeze the juice from the citrus fruits using a wooden spatula. Add sparkling wine and mix.
- Pour the resulting sangria into a jug of clear glass. Before serving, add ice cubes to champagne glasses.
White sangria
To prepare a drink such as sangria, a recipe at home involves the use of the following ingredients:
- whiskey or brandy - 250 milliliters;
- dry white wine - 750 milliliters;
- sugar - 50 grams;
- mineral water without gas - 500 milliliters;
- peach - 1 piece;
- apple - 1 piece;
- orange - 1 piece;
- cinnamon - 2 sticks.
The process of preparing white sangria is as follows:
- Wash the fruits. Remove the seed from the peach. Peel the apple from the core. Cut these fruits into large cubes. Slice the orange without peeling it. Put the resulting fruit mixture in a deep bowl.
- Add brandy or whiskey, cinnamon and sugar and mix well until the crystals are completely dissolved with a wooden spatula. Put the container in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
- After the time has passed, gently mash the orange with a wooden spatula for a more intense allocation of juice, pour water and wine.
- Mix the drink well and pour into a transparent glass jug. Such a cocktail is served well chilled, ice cubes should be added to the glasses.
Pink sangria
Essential ingredients for making pink sangria:
- dry pink wine - 750 milliliters;
- Cointreau orange liqueur - 80 milliliters;
- sugar - 50 grams;
- lemonade - 500 milliliters;
- watermelon (pulp) - 250 grams;
- lime - 1 piece.
The process of making cocktail "Pink Sangria" at home:
- Cut the pulp of watermelon into large cubes. Slice lime with peel. Fold chopped fruits in a deep bowl.
- Add liquor and sugar. Stir until crystals are completely dissolved. Put in the refrigerator for two hours.
- After pouring wine and lemonade and mix well.
- Pour the finished drink into a glass jug. Add ice cubes to glasses before serving.
Peach sangria
Essential ingredients for preparing peach sangria:
- peach liquor - 250 milliliters;
- dry white wine - 750 milliliters;
- mineral water with gas - 500 milliliters;
- peach - 3 pieces;
- sugar - 50 grams.
The process of preparing peach sangria is as follows:
- Wash peaches, remove seeds. Cut the fruit fillet into slices and put in a deep bowl.
- Add sugar and liquor to this container. Mix well until the grains are completely dissolved. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- At the end of time, pour wine and water into the mixture and mix.
- Pour the finished sangria into a transparent jug. The drink should be served well chilled, ice cubes should be added to the glasses.
Strawberry sangria
Essential ingredients for a cocktail:
- semi-dry red wine - 750 milliliters;
- orange - 1 piece;
- lemon - ¼ part;
- strawberries - 150 grams;
- sugar - 50 grams;
- cinnamon - 1 stick;
- cloves - 3 buds.
The process of making strawberry sangria is as follows:
- Wash the fruits. Slice the orange without peeling it. Peel the strawberries from the stalks and cut in half. Put the fruits in a deep bowl.
- Add sugar to the container. There, squeeze the juice out of a quarter of a lemon. Pour the resulting mixture with wine and add spices.
- Mix the drink well until sugar is completely dissolved. Put in the refrigerator for two hours.
- After a wooden spatula, gently mash the slices of orange for better juice extraction, mix sangria and pour into a glass jug. Add ice cubes to glasses before serving.
Sangria is a refreshing and tasty drink that gives the atmosphere of a sunny Spanish coast. This cocktail can be prepared with white, red or pink wine. To obtain sparkling sangria, it is recommended to use champagne or add carbonated drinks. Do not be afraid to experiment with fruits, because to spoil this cocktail is almost impossible.