The Spanish Sangria
Every country has its own favourite drink. For example the French have champagne the Italians red wine and in Germany copious amounts of beer are consumed. Here In Australia we love them all and make our own delicious versions of the originals.
Sangria is one of the most recognizable and well known Spanish drinks. This is because it is most requested by tourists such as myself. You may ask why this is? From personal experience it is so easy to drink that you forget that it is an alcoholic beverage. It is the perfect drink to share with new friends on a warm afternoon.
In general terms the Sangria we know in Australia and love to drink is a cocktail made with red wine flavoured with fruit and often fortified with a splash of brandy. This Spanish Sangria wine cocktail is much like the Italian Negroni except it has a sweet orange fruit flavour compared to the bitter orange flavour of Campari. Sangria isn’t sangria without the citrus! This is what gives it that punchy flavour.
A Drink To Sip Slowly
Sangria is actually secretly super boozy. The orange juice and citrus does a great job of masking how alcoholic sangria really is! Ice is a key ingredient in both drinks and large ice blocks are used to keep the drink cold but not to dilute it.
Every town in Spain has own regional interpretation of the Sangria. Most but not all sangrias are made with vino tinto (red wine) mixed with orange juice. Typically club soda isn’t mixed into sangria, but oftentimes it’s used as a topper because everyone loves a little bubbly.
So all Sangrias have a similar look and characteristic wine taste but there are no strict boundaries as to how this drink can be made. Red or white, Bubbles no bubbles. Sweeter or drier. Fruit no fruit. The choice is yours. We love homemade sangria because you can really make it your own based on what you have in your own kitchen.
We have done our own research to bring you the tastiest and easiest sangria recipe to make at home. Our recipe uses orange juice mixed with tart red wine (Tempranillo or Pinot Noir) then adding a citrus lime tang and refreshing soda bubbles.
How to Make Red Wine Sangria
Red wine sangria is simple and you only need a few ingredients to get started with this recipe. First and foremost, grab your favourite bottle of red just make sure that it’s on the drier side because the orange juice is going to balance it out!
Mix your sangria up in a Copa balloon glass filled with ice and garnish with fresh orange slices. Don’t forget you always have the option to add in a handful of chopped fruit. Fruit in a glass of Sangria makes sense with apple pear and orange trees abundant along the roadside in northern Spain.
Sangria will always remind me of walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain and satisfy my need for something tasty and easy to drink.
Make your next summer cocktail a delicious sweet alternative to sparkling wine or spritzers.
Try Our Easy Sangria recipe below.
Ingredients
- 1 Bottle of Red Wine
- 4 tbs Brandy
- 1 cup Orange Juice (preferably freshly squeezed from 3 medium oranges) (250ml)
- 1 Pear
- 1 Apple
- 1 Orange- 1/2 chopped + 1/2 sliced
- 2-3 tbsp Lime Simple syrup (60 ml)
- 1/2 cup club soda (125 ml)
- Ice
Instructions
- Wash and chop unpeeled fruit
- Place chopped pear apple and orange pieces into a large glass jug or bowl
- Pour over lime syrup and squash the fruit lightly with a muddler to help release their flavour
- Add orange juice soda water, brandy and red wine then stir well.
- To intensify the fruity flavour place in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- Serve with ice cubes and top with soda water for more bubbles
- Garnish glasses with the remaining orange slices