Learn to Make Your Own Sangria

History

There is no definitive history of this drink, but the legend generally goes that it was invented by poor pub owners in rural Spain . At the end of the night, they would take all of the bottles/casks of wine which had been opened over the course of the evening and instead of throwing it out or using it to cook the next day, they mixed them all together in a jug. Then they added a little higher alcohol drink (we use rum or brandy today, but the stuff they used back then was probably more like moonshine) to make it go longer, and then added all of the unused fruit from the day to mellow out the taste. They would let this sit overnight, and the next day they would have this new drink that looked like blood (hence the name Sangria), that tasted delicious, cost them next to nothing to make, and was fairly high in alcohol content. Basically, this was a great way for them to take all of the leftovers from the day and turn it into something useful. And as always – frugality turned into sustainability!

While this used to be a drink of the people because of its frugal origins, most Sangria today is made from a recipe, not just from stuff laying around. In fact, I have met some people who guard their personal recipes with their lives. While there is no doubt that such recipes result in some really really good Sangria, I personally prefer to stick to the origins as much as I can. Since I am not a restaurant and don’t have bottles of wine and extra fruit laying around, to me this means going to the farmers market, getting whatever fruit looks good there, then buying a couple bottles of super cheap, local wine to make my Sangria.

There are two basic kinds of Sangria – roja (read) and blanca (white). I have laid out my favorite recipe for each below. Please take them only as guidelines – use whatever you have on hand and it will both taste different and special every time and have a lighter footprint on the planet!

What You'll Need (Red)

• 2 bottles red wine
• 2 apples cut in slices
• 1 orange peeled cut in slices
• 1 lemon cut in quarters
• 1/2 cup OJ
• 1 cup seltzer water or club soda
• 1/2 cup rum (I prefer white rum, but you can use dark rum or brandy)

Instructions

Step 1: Wash all of your fruit well

Step 2: Mix all the items except the lemon in a punch bowl

Step 3: Squeeze the lemon into the bowl, then drop the husks in for extra flavor

Step 3: Taste and add more OJ or seltzer accordingly

Step 4: Put in the fridge and let "sit" for at least 12 hours - the longer it sits the better it will be!

What You'll Need (White)

• 2 bottles white wine
• 2 peaches sliced
• 2 nectarines sliced
• 1 package of raspberries
• 1/2 cup OJ
• 1 cup seltzer water or club soda
• 1/2 cup rum (definitely use white rum here, anything darker will overpower)

Instructions

Step 1: Wash all of your fruit well

Step 2: Mix all the items in a punch bowl

Step 3: Taste and add more seltzer accordingly

Step 4: Same deal

Enjoy!