Simple Summer Sangria | The Best Sangria Recipe
There is nothing like a cool refreshing glass of crisp summer sangria to please a crowd. Sangria is one of the simplest and most satisfying beverages to make in large quantities for summer gatherings and cookouts. The Best Sangria Recipe provides the perfect balance between the mess and hassle of mixed drinks and the blandness of beer and wine. Although it is loaded with lots of fresh fruit this is no “girly” beverage. It will be a favorite among the men in your crowd as well. As long as you don’t put an umbrella in it!
Why The Best Sangria Recipe?
The Best Sangria Recipe is great because it can be tailored to what you like. Start with a basic wine. A lot of articles will tell that you need a higher end wine but this is not true. Any basic well balanced wine will do, even mass produced ones. By the time you add all of the other ingredients the wine is not hitting the palate the way it does when enjoyed by itself. For that I would recommend a higher quality wine.
If white wine is your preference you want to pair the sangria recipe with lighter fruits such as apples, pears, peaches, lemon, limes and oranges. If red wine is your preference then pair with darker fruits such as apples, plums, blood oranges and berries of all varieties. I personally mix and match berries and citrus on both of my sangria recipes’ for a nice presentation as well as flavor. You really can’t go wrong with the fruit choices.
A couple other key items to know about making sangria is don’t skip out on the brandy. It too doesn’t have to be top end but does provide the balance that gives sangria its kick and packs a lot of flavor when blended with the fresh fruit. Also, make your sangria the night before or at least 4 hours before you will be enjoying it to give the flavors time to blend. This makes the difference between good and great sangria.
Start by chopping and dicing your fruit into wedges or small bits. Again this is your preference. I prefer wedges; slice the citrus fruits in full or half circles. Mix together a bottle of red or white wine; add your brandy and orange liquor. Stir in the sugar and your chopped fruit and let it refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Before serving; mix in the chilled club soda (or ginger ale depending on your desired sweetness). You can measure this by your standard diet choices. If you are an avid wine drinker and generally avoid sugary foods you will probably prefer the club soda. If you opt for sweet mixed drink and love chocolate cake, use the ginger ale. Either can be sweetened to taste by adding more or less sugar, artificial sweetener or simple syrup. Start with less, you can always add more as needed.
Sangria can be as diverse as the people who drink it, don’t be intimidated to mix it up and experiment with new fruits, liquors, wines and sweeteners. Enjoy this by the glass or the pitcher, alone or with friends. Once you try it, it will become one of your favorite summer drinks as well. Here is a sample recipe. Many others can be found here http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=sangria&fnSearchType=site
Enjoy!
Best Sangria Recipe Ingredients
- 2 bottles chilled dry red wine
- 1 cup brandy
- 1 cup orange liquor
- ¼ cup sugar or artificial sweetener (more or less to taste)
- 2 oranges, cut into thin rounds
- 2 lemons, cut into thin rounds
- 3 limes, cut into thin rounds
- 2 apples, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 cups cold club soda (substitute for ginger ale for a sweeter beverage)
