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You are here: Home Leisure Dining & Cuisine The secret to making the perfect sangria

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16/04/2009The secret to making the perfect sangria

The secret to making the perfect sangria Making sangria is an art – Sandra Piddock on how to prepare the traditional drink the Spanish way.

Think of Spain, and you think of sun, sea and sangria.

Sangria comes in many shapes and sizes, from pleasantly light and refreshing, for a hot afternoon, to ‘Comes with a Health Warning’ for an evening of serious partying.

The mixture also varies from undrinkable (usually the ready made variety) to delicious. You won’t encounter undrinkable in a Spanish bar; every Spaniard I’ve ever met can rustle up spectacular sangria. It’s a talent they’re born with.

One of the best sangrias I’ve ever tasted cost only EUR 5 for a one-litre jug on a cafeteria in a Sunday market. The secret is to soak the fruit in the alcohol for at least an hour before completing the Sangria.

Sangria in a tall skinny glass in Malaga © Alaskan DudeEverywhere where I’ve thought the sangria was worth a return visit, there are always jugs of fruit and wine waiting to be mixed and enjoyed. Any bar using tinned fruit instead of fresh should be avoided. That’s cheating, and you can’t cheat with sangria. The first sip gives you away.

What fruits to use? Anything that takes your fancy, is in season, and is ripe enough for the juices to flow. Avoid bananas, as they start to break up in the alcohol almost immediately and will give your drink a cloudy appearance. We live on the Costa Blanca, where oranges are cheap, juicy and plentiful. Strawberries are lovely, as are plums and melons. I always add some apples, as well. If you don’t want too much sweetness, add some lemon or lime.

I usually make two one-litre jugs – one is never enough, and if there is any left over – unlikely, but it may happen – it will store in the fridge for a couple of days in a covered jug. Do remember to remove the fruit, though.

Steps in preparing sangria:

Chop the fruit into small pieces about ½ inch square. Leave the skin on everything, except mangoes or kiwi fruit.

Prepare enough fruit to give two – three inches depth in the jug.
sangria © specialkrb
Now add alcohol. My favourite blend is brandy, sherry and red wine. How much? That’s up to you.

For a refreshing but not overly strong sangria, I use four single measures of brandy, one wine glass of sherry and two – three glasses of wine to one-litre. Don’t waste money on decent red wine. An ordinary table wine or ‘vino de mesa’ is fine for sangria. Allow to stand for an hour or more.

To finish your sangria, add plenty of ice, then top up with lemonade – not the diet variety, it doesn’t give a fruity enough flavour. Note that in Spain, clear lemonade is gaseosa; while limonade is nice to drink, its cloudy appearance will spoil the colour of your sangria.

For special occasions, or for higher alcohol content, use half lemonade and half cava (sparkling wine). Stir well and serve, ensuring everyone gets some ice and fruit in their glass.

Photo © jjvacaFor children or drivers, prepare non-alcoholic sangria using red grape juice, apple juice and lemonade.

You can store left over fruit from your sangria in the fridge for two days and use it to make a tasty topping for ice cream, cheesecake or yogurt. Just remember the fruit contains alcohol.

Before experimenting on making this delicious drink, remember making good sangria is an art, not a science. The correct quantities are those that work for you. Enjoy!

16 April 2009

text: Sandra Piddock / Expatica
photo credits: Michael_Lehet; CRLS; Alaskan Dude; specialkrb; jjvaca

For more recipes, visit Sandra Piddock’s website, Simply Spanish Food.


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