Say “salud!” with sangria
If there’s a drink that’s synonymous with Spain, it’s sangria. With a base of rough red wine (some say the rougher the better), sangria signals party time. On a river cruise in Seville, my party was treated to a demonstration and tasting of sangria; a few days into the tour, we confess to having already sampled it more than once!
To be honest, it was not the best sangria I’ve tasted. And I can tell you why: because the key to a good sangria is letting the fruit steep overnight (or for several hours at least) before pouring and drinking. The “instant” sangria served up on our cruise was not the best.
There’s no real recipe for sangria…much of it is whatever you have in the cupboard or fridge. But the basic idea is the same, whatever you choose to throw in. Don’t waste good red wine on the sangria – the cheaper the wine, the better.
To make a pitcher for about four people, start with this (increase the amounts depending on how many in your party).
310 mls red wine
125 ml brandy
1 cinnamon stick
60 ml sweet liquor such as white rum or Cointreau
Fruit, chopped up (some like apples, others toss in bananas, plums, cherries or other fruit)
Lemon or orange wedges (or both)
500 ml orange soda or lemonade, chilled
Combine all ingredients except the soft drink in a 2 litre pitcher. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Pour the orange soda or lemonade into the pitcher and mix. Pour sangria over ice.
Cheers! Or as they say in Spain, “Salud!”
A Glass Half Full travelled to Spain as a guest of Globus.
2 Responses to “Say “salud!” with sangria”
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It was practical. Keep on posting!