Making your own sangria is cheaper than the bottled version, can be made ahead of time, and you can decide exactly what kind of alcohol and fruit you want in it. It’s the perfect summer sundowner!
Sangria is a cocktail with a wine base that is then mixed with fruit, some sort of sweetener, and perhaps a healthy dollop of liqueur. The versatility of this cocktail – you can basically make it any way your heart desires – is one of the reasons it is so very popular, especially when entertaining large groups of people. This approach to sangria started 2,000 years ago, and not in Spain, which is a common misconception. It was actually the Romans who invented this mix of wine, spice, and fruit because water was dangerous to drink and the wine wasn’t all that tasty back then. In an effort to make the wine more palatable, they dropped in whatever fruit or spices were available. And as these Roman mixologists made their way across the Iberian Peninsula – conquering and fermenting and whatnot – this sangria forerunner became a popular beverage in what is now Spain and Portugal. The Spanish are the ones who bestowed upon it the name “sangria,” which actually translates to bleeding or bloodletting but fortunately refers more to the color of sangria rather than an actual open wound.
Eventually, sangria made its way to Latin America and then trickled into the United States. But it wasn’t until the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City, when a man named Alberto Heras served it at the Spanish Pavilion, that sangria really hit the sweet spot with Americans. Today, the United States is the number one consumer of sangria, drinking more of this sugary unassuming beverage than is currently consumed in either Spain or Portugal.
And while they may not consume most of it, both countries still claim proprietorship. In fact, bottles of sangria are only allowed to be labeled sangria if they were produced in either Spain or Portugal; just like Champagne or Cognac can only bear those names if they were produced in either the Champagne or Cognac regions. The rules aren’t quite as strict with sangria, however. While the word “Champagne” is not permitted anywhere on a bottle of sparkling wine not made in that region, bottles of sangria made outside of Spain and Portugal can have the word “sangria” on the label; however they must also include the country in which it was produced, such as Swedish Sangria, with the words “aromatized wine-based drink” prominently displayed on the label.
Basically, Champagne is like the prim and proper debutante with a 10 p.m. curfew, and sangria is the wild child most likely to be found riding the mechanical bull at the local honky-tonk at 2 a.m.
Ironically, while Spain is a stickler for what can officially be labeled sangria, it is rarely the go-to drink for locals. It’s actually marketed toward tourists who think they will look like locals if they sit out in cafes guzzling glasses of sangria. And of course, the more they guzzle, the more convinced they are of their “local” status. But true Spaniards rarely order sangria in a restaurant or bar and tend to save their sangria guzzling for at-home functions where they can make their own.
Making your own sangria is actually a much better idea, and not just because you want to look like a true Spaniard. Really good sangria needs time to steep, allowing the wine to absorb all those fruity flavors, but it can’t steep for days because the fruit will get mealy and bitter. That time window makes it difficult to get a quality glass of sangria in a bar or restaurant.
If you are going to entertain friends at home, homemade sangria is a must because it is cheaper than the bottled version, it can be made ahead of time, and you can decide exactly what kind of alcohol and fruit you want to use. In fact, you will find as many ways to make your own sangria as songs about alcohol. According to Jerry Jeff Walker, you just “start with some wine, get some apples and brandy and sugar just fine, old friends always show up on time, that’s why you add sparkling burgundy wine.”
But it doesn’t have to be Burgundy wine. Sangria commonly starts with a dry Spanish wine, but you could also use a merlot or pinot noir. White wine sangrias, which have recently surged in popularity, are typically made with dry whites such as a sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Just remember that bad wine will make bad sangria, so choose one you would enjoy drinking unadulterated and go from there.
If your recipe calls for ginger ale or anything bubbly, remember to include it just before serving, otherwise the fizz will go flat and the sangria will taste watery. Make sure any fruit you add is ripe but not rotten and try to use those that match the fruit notes of your base wine. Don’t forget to give your sangria time to steep and chill, but keep in mind that it won’t keep indefinitely. Eventually the sangria will get bitter, the fruit will get limp, and you’ll end up with a pitcher of something no one will ever write a song about.
The following are some recipes for concocting sangria wine for your next get-together. Soon you and your friends will all be singing Jerry Jeff Walker’s immortal line, “I love that sangria wine, love to drink it with old friends of mine.”
Sangria Clásica
1 bottle dry red wine, such as rioja tempranillo, pinot noir, or cabernet sauvignon1½ cups rum
½ cup granulated sugar
1 lemon
1 orange
1 lime
1 (8-ounce) can diced pineapple, with juice
1 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
Ice
Refrigerate wine, rum, lemon, orange, lime, pineapple, and orange juice for several hours. Pour the wine and the rum into a large pitcher, add the sugar, and stir until sugar is dissolved. Cut the lemon, orange, and lime into wedges, squeeze the juice from the wedges into the pitcher, then toss the fruit wedges into the pitcher as well. Add the diced pineapple and orange juice, then chill the sangria-filled pitcher overnight. Add ginger ale, raspberries, and ice just before serving and enjoy! So good even the Spanish locals consider it muy deliciosa!
Sangria Blanca
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 bottle white wine such pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or other crisp white wine
½ cup triple sec or other orange liqueur
2 cups ginger ale
Ice
Fruit suggestions:
• 1 orange, peel on, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, peel on, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, peel on, thinly sliced
• 1 peach, pit removed, cut into wedges
• 10 strawberries, green removed, cut in half
• ½ cup raspberries
The fruits listed in this recipe are merely suggestions. If you have another summer fruit you love, or if one of the above suggestions isn’t available? Substitutions are perfectly acceptable – it’s your sangria, make it your way!
Put all the fruit into a large pitcher, then pour the sugar on top. Using a wooden spoon, muddle the sugar into the fruit, then add the wine and triple sec, and stir. Refrigerate overnight, add ice and ginger ale just before serving. ¡Magia blanca!
Sangria Margarita
Why choose between a sangria and a margarita when you can have both in one delicious drink?
1 bottle dry red wine, such as rioja tempranillo, pinot noir, or cabernet sauvignon¼ cup triple sec or other orange liqueur
½ cup tequila
½ cup simple syrup
2 limes, sliced
1 lemon, sliced
1 orange, sliced
Salt for garnish
Sliced limes and orange for garnish
Refrigerate the wine, triple sec, and tequila for several hours, then stir together with the simple syrup in a large pitcher. Add the sliced fruit to the pitcher and chill overnight. Before serving, rub sliced lime around rim of each glass, then dip the glass into a plate of salt. Fill glasses halfway with ice, pour in the chilled sangria margarita mixture, and garnish with additional lime and orange slices. ¡Perfecto!
Sangria de Invierno
While sangria is usually associated with summer cocktails, this hot version one is made for the coming months when the air is a bit crisper.
1 bottle dry red wine, such as rioja tempranillo, pinot noir, or cabernet sauvignon½ cup apple brandy, such as Applejack or Calvados
¼ cup Grand Marnier or other orange liquor
1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons simple syrup
1 apple, with peel, cored and sliced
1 orange, with peel, sliced
1 pear, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
8 whole cloves
Place all of the ingredients in a slow cooker, and cook on high for 1 hour only. Left to cook longer than that, the fruit flavors will be destroyed. After 1 hour, reduce the heat to warm. You can serve immediately, or keep it warm and serve as guests arrive. Ladle the liquid and bits of fruit into glasses or mugs, then garnish with orange slices and cinnamon sticks. ¡Muy caliente!
Sangria Sin Vino Mocktail
This sangria cocktail is perfect for the whole family.
½ cup strawberries, sliced in half1 orange, sliced, with peel
1 lemon, sliced, with peel
1 red apple, chopped, with peel
1 pear, chopped
1½ cups cranberry juice
½ cup orange juice
1 (6-ounce) can pineapple juice
1 cup ginger ale
Ice
Extra orange slices for garnish
Add the sliced and chopped fruit into the bottom of a large pitcher, muddling a bit with a wooden spoon to release a bit of juice. Pour the cranberry, orange, and pineapple juice on top, stir to combine, and then refrigerate an hour or two. When ready to serve, add the ginger ale, and stir. Serve in ice filled glasses with orange slices as garnish. ¡Disfruta!
