I will admit, I have only had Sangria in Spain. I sipped it on the beach in Cadaques, with my mom, on the Dali trip of a lifetime. I was shocked when I spoke to the hostess, and she said it was made with Triple Sec. In the US, the Triple Sec must have something different and funky, because I am deathly allergic to it. One sip of a rogue margarita and I can feel my body temperature soar.
Cadaques, Spain |
There are a jillion recipes out there, and lots of interesting additions and variations. I knew after reading Bobby Flay's that I would add pomegranate juice. Many of the recipes I saw added sugar, simple syrup or lemon lime soda. I wasn't keen on that. My hope is that the fruit will make it sweet enough. And, the last site I went to suggested rose wine. That, I was really loving. I would direct you there, but there are too many pop up advertisements that lock you in for a set amount of time before you can peruse the site. I object. I am all about making money, but some of these sites are nothing but ads. Anyway, I set about using my likes from these folks and making Sangria the SweetiePetittti way. Here's how it went.
Sweetie Petitti Sangria
1 bottle Spanish Red Wine (I used Protocolo)
1 bottle rose (mine was Portuguese)
1 cup Brandy
1/3 cup Grand Marnier
1 cup pomegranate juice
3 oranges, washed well, and thinly sliced
3 limes, washed well, and thinly sliced
2 lemons, washed well, and thinly sliced
bunch of grapes (I used red)
small can pineapple rings, drained
1 half liter bottle club soda
In a large vessel, pour in wine, liquors, and the sliced fruit. I reserved a few slices for serving tomorrow. Along with some grapes. Refrigerate for a good 24 hours so everybody can introduce themselves. I did a little muddling about 6 hours before serving. Right before the party, I added a chilled bottle of club soda. Now, there is really nothing sweet about this. It is like a fruity red wine. I love it. I have been sipping on it for about 3 days now. And even with the huge amounts of alcohol, it really doesn't send off the deep end! I can see that there is plenty of room for whatever fruit may be in season, how dark you may prefer it, how bubbly and certainly, there is a lot of room for sweetness if that's what you prefer.
So, what are you waiting for? Get in there and make Sangria!