When you first hear what's in Sangria it might surprise you. Until you try it. That's when the real surprise starts. Properly made Spanish Sangria is a delicious drink when served chilled in summer and I will show you exactly how to easily make the best red sangria.
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Making proper sangria is very easy if you know what it's all about.
It might seem strange to mix red wine with fruits at first. Then pour in more booze and end up with a mainly-summer cocktail enjoyed by millions.
I promise you it works. Especially the way I like making it. Which is, of course, the best.
Not because It's mine but, because of the way it's made and the undisputedly delicious result.
What should it taste like
Red sangria is the way you want to go in my opinion. It can be made with white wine but, the tannin in red wines play a major role in the final taste and somehow magical balance.
Citrus and sweetness is a must. But not sour and sweet. Well balanced and full of flavour. That's one of the things I concentrate on.
It should not be a kiddies drink. It should have some kick. For kids, you make citrus lemonade and naturally fermented strawberry soda.
Cognac and Rum are the go-to choices for making sangria.
Then for good reason, it's also loaded with apples. Do you know how tasty apple slices are that has soaked up the boozy sangria? Call them drunken apples if you want but they are delicious.
Chilled. It should be well chilled. With plenty of ice.
Cold, fruity, citrusy and boozy red wine. Exactly what real sangria should taste like.
Useful equipment
Ingredients needed
A truly authentic sangria recipe is something you won't find anywhere. Mainly because it's not an iconic drink from a single source. But, rather a loosely imagined cocktail that changed through the course of where ingredients in the recipe can easily vary from region to region.
With that said the main sangria ingredients are mostly as follows: Fruit, citrus, wine, spirits.
- Red wine - Any dry red wine will do. Do not go and buy the most expensive one though. You only need a cheap everyday drinking wine. A common grape variety used in Spain is tempranillo grapes. I used that but you can use merlot, Monastrell, Syrah or just something that says Rioja on it will do. To avoid any overload.
- Fruit - Apples are the go-to. Although other fruits can also be used. More on that in the variations section.
- Spirits - Neither Cognac, Rum or Calvados is Spanish but that's what we add. I think back in the day they added whatever was available. A true sailor's concoction.
- Citrus - Mostly only made with oranges but I use the holy trinity of lemon, orange and lime.
- Sweetener - Anything goes but I like brown sugar as it has a slight molasses flavour.
- Optional extra - Mint. Not a must. My little addition but, it makes for a delicious drink.
How to make it
As with making lemonade and strawberry soda, I go the extra mile in making sure we have the best sangria recipe possible while keeping it extremely easy to make.
Our secret is extracting the citrus flavour from the skins. Citrus oils present in the skins carry the aroma and flavour. They are soluble in alcohol.
In other words.
We can easily take the flavour from the citrus and put them into our sangria without overloading it with lemons or oranges that make it bitter or too sour.
That's half the secret. An easy little trick, often forgotten.
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the citrus skin. Squeeze the juice from only the orange.
- Bruise the citrus rind by rolling between your fingers to release the oils and add them into your spirit of choice.
- Let it infuse for at least 15 minutes.
- Add mint and sugar to a jug along with the spirits. Muddle it like you would a mojito. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Chop up the apple and add it to a jug. Followed by ice.
- Add the spirits, red wine and juice of one orange together into the jug with the apples. Give it a stir and garnish with fresh mint and a few slices of citrus.
- Serve immediately by pouring into chilled glasses filled with ice, lemon, mint and some apple slices.
Variations
You certainly do not have to stick with the usual sangria ingredients.
You can modify and change the recipe to fit your needs and make it the way you like by easily changing the following:
- Fruit - Change the apples for peaches, apricots, berries, cherries or plums. You can even do a mix of these. Use whatever is fruit is good and in season.
- Wine - Instead of red wine you could also make a sangria recipe with white wine or rosé. Just make sure it's a dry wine otherwise the balance will be off if you buy semi-sweet.
- Spirits - I've used my own homemade blackened apple brandy which tastes like rum and calvados mixed together but with an apple kick. you could use any other strong alcohol and flavoured as you want. Maybe you want it with bourbon, tequila, rum or whisky or a bit of orange brandy. Whichever you choose just make sure it's not overly sweet or just remove some of the sugar in the recipe.
- Sweetener - Replace the sugar with honey, agave syrup, maple syrup, stevia or even omit if you are using sweetened spirits.
- Herbs - Rosemary and lemon thyme are cool variations. Even rose petals, hibiscus and lavender make delicious alternatives. Just use sparingly as they can very easily overpower.
Serving suggestions
Sangria is best served cold, in summer at any point in the day but, in my opinion with light snacks or a simple fruit salad.
Have it with Thai spiced cashews, Parmesan sables or a summery hummus like this pea, mint and feta dip.
If you like a lazy afternoon tea serve with spiced apple cake or carrot and walnut cake.
Frequently asked questions
Once you have made Sangria you can store it in sealable bottles in the fridge for months.
Yes. Simply omit the regular wine and strong alcohol, then replace with the same quantity dry non alcoholic wine.
The flavours will mature overnight but it's not a must. It's only slightly better than freshly made.
More drinks recipes
If you like to make refreshing summery drinks check out the following useful recipes.
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Recipe
Classic Spanish Red Sangria
Ingredients
- 750 g (750 ml) dry red wine - note 1
- 1 (1) orange
- 1 (1) lemon - note 2
- 1 (1) lime
- 1 (1) large apple - note 3
- 30 g (2 ½ tablespoon) brown sugar - note 4
- 150 g (150 ml) cognac/ brandy or any other spirits - note 5
- ½ (½) bunch mint - optional
Instructions
- With a vegetable peeler, peel the citrus reservingthe skin. Squeeze the juice from only the orange.
- Bruise the citrus peel by rolling between your fingers to release the oils and add into the spirits.
- Let it infuse for at least 15 minutes.
- Add mint and sugar to a jug along with the spirits. Muddle it like you would a mojito. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
- Chop up the apple and add into a jug. Followed by ice.
- Add the spirits, red wine, and orange juice together into the jug with the apples. Give it a stir and garnish with fresh mint and a few slices of citrus.
- Serve immediately by pouring into chilled glasses filled with ice, lemon, mint and some apple slices.
Notes
- You can also use this recipe as a guide to making white wine sangria. Just use dry white wine or rosé instead of red wine.
- The citrus zest is key in this recipe so don't skip the step where you infuse the strong alcohol with the zest.
- Use other fruits like peach, strawberry or pear instead of apple.
- Replace the sugar in the recipe with any other alternative like agave, maple syrup. honey or even stevia if you are watching your sugar intake.
- Use any strong spirits you want like Rum, Tequila or even whisky instead of brandy.
- Can be made in advance and stored in the fridge in a closed bottle.
Su Jin says
Making this today. Can I replace the sugar with honey and add some Cointreau?
Charlé says
Su Jin, You can yes. Just give it a taste as some honey seems sweeter than others. Cointreau is a great choice too. Most importantly make sure you muddle the zest with the Cointreau to get that fresh citrus flavours. Enjoy!