Sangria is a weak (4-9%), light and aromatic alcohol created in Spain. Its basis is traditionally red wine and spring water, fruit or berry slices and cane sugar. The drink got its name “Sangría” for its blood-red color, but there is a version about the origin of the name from the Sanskrit “sakkari”, which means sweetened wine. Sometimes sangria is called a cocktail or “wine okroshka”, sometimes – mulled wine, wine punch or grog. There is some truth in this, but still Spanish sangria is an independent drink.
History of sangria
Science does not know when and by whom sangria was created. Myths shroud the drink in their veil of mystery. Residents of Italy and Greece prove that it was their ancestors who mixed wine and water at the turn of our era. But no fruit was added. They say that they were thrown into wine by Helio Gabal, an Italian soldier who could not create wine from citrus fruits alone. Or maybe the legend about the bloody massacre of Spanish peasants, who before their deaths treated the punishers to a wonderful drink, is true. Or about fruit pickers who added juice to a flask of wine? It doesn't really matter. The main thing is that already in the 19th century the drink became a bestseller in Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Until the mid-60s of the 20th century, only Mediterranean peasants drank sangria. But after the New York World's Fair in 1964, the drink became the hallmark of Spain. Sangria was advertised, placed on restaurant bar menus, and a number of wine blend variations were created. By the 21st century, the army of drink fans was replenished by residents of different countries, including Russians.
Spain. A woman's view.
I would write a song about sangria... Or, at worst, a poem. But mostly I drink it. I tried sangria for the first time on my first trip to Spain. And somehow since then it has always been on the menu. Sangria is a light wine, and many people are already familiar with it. By the way, the correct pronunciation with an emphasis on I is not sangria, but sangria. We tried it in winter and have been drinking it all year round ever since. Only in winter we don’t put ice, and we cool it quite a bit. The taste is fruity, you can change it at your discretion, you can also change the strength - a fairy tale, not wine! We taught many of our friends to it.)))
In cafes and bars in Spain, sangria is usually served in liter jugs called jarra. We fell in love with the La Barca restaurant on the waterfront in Benalmadena. A typical Spanish establishment, always full of people and serving fresh fish. There are many restaurants and bars on the embankment. But we wandered here because we saw that it was always crowded, and many of them were Spaniards. Then our rightness was confirmed by friends who have lived here for many years. The restaurant La barca is the best restaurant on this embankment. So, the sangria there was different every day. Today, orange slices were added to the jug. Tomorrow it's peaches or apples. And several times melon and watermelon were added to the wine. Other bars make the same, but carbonated sangria. There are many options! And of course a waiter with a smile, palm trees in the moonlight and so on. Very romantic.
In stores, sangria is sold in bottles and bags.
But of course it’s tastier to drink fresh, just made. The basis of sangria is summer wine, fruit, rum or brandy, sugar or honey, ice. Below are a few recipes.
SANGRIA Recipes
Classic sangria 1 liter of wine 1 liter of tonic 0.5 cups of brandy 4 oranges 2 lemons Mix everything, let stand for at least 10 minutes, serve with ice
Sangria is light. 1 liter of wine 1.5 liters of freshly squeezed orange juice or lemonade 0.5 liter of peach nectar Mix everything and serve with ice
Sangria with English flavor 1 liter of wine Fruits – apples, pears, bananas, lemons, peaches…. Mix everything, then add gin and Cointreau liqueur to taste.
Light sangria 1 liter of wine 0.5 liter of orange tonic 1 apple 1 pear 1 glass of brandy Mix everything, add ice
Strawberry-mango sangria
Wine, tonic, brandy, strawberry and mango. I haven’t tried it personally, I found the recipe on the Internet
Sangria made from champagne, or cava. Also from the depths of the Internet.
Instead of wine - champagne, the rest to taste.
Sangria is also good as a gift for friends. After all, sooner or later everyone has a question - what to bring from Spain? You can bring it in bags - just for testing. Or it can be in souvenir bottles - the design is more important here, in the shape of a guitar and/or complete with castanets.
Fortunately, you can also buy this light and pleasant wine in Moscow. We bought it from one of the online stores (bottled, imported, Spanish)…
Or in supermarkets like Perekrestok, or simpler stores like Pyaterochka - Yago or Esta sangria (domestic, factory near Gatchina, surprisingly tasty, and the price is pleasantly pleasing).
In Spain, it is believed that sangria should be drunk in a good mood and with a smile on your face. This is especially good to do on a hot summer day with friends.
I hope you enjoy the sangria too!
Cooking technology
Nowadays, markets sell ready-made sangria wine made industrially. But Mediterranean residents believe that this is not real sangria. The real thing can only be prepared at home from fresh fruit and good wine. This drink contains no flavors or colors, artificial additives or fruit waste.
Ingredients of homemade sangria:
- Wine should be red and good, but not necessarily vintage. Sometimes it is replaced by white, rose or sparkling wine, champagne;
- Strong alcohol - dry liqueur or brandy, or: cognac, rum, whiskey, gin or vodka. Not a required component;
- Sugar – cane or beetroot, can be replaced with sugar syrup, honey, grenadine, or cooked without sweeteners;
- Fruits - orange, apple, peach, but you can take any, including berries. Before adding, the seeds and cores are removed and chopped. Peeling is not necessary (with the exception of melon, watermelon and tropical fruits), small berries are placed whole;
- Spices - to taste: cinnamon sticks, clove buds, ginger, nutmeg, mint, vanilla, etc.;
- Water – spring, bottled or highly carbonated, soda, tonic. Taken in the same quantity as wine.
The essence of preparing the drink is simple: you need to mix all the ingredients in a jug and keep it in the refrigerator for 3-12 hours. Sometimes fruits or spices are first infused in strong alcohol (6-8 hours), and only after that the remaining ingredients are added. It's like an amateur. Fizzy drinks and ice are added to the Sangria cocktail at the end, before serving.
Sparkling sangria. Homemade recipe
Ingredients needed to make sparkling sangria:
- brandy – 125 milliliters;
- orange liqueur “Curacao” or “Cointreau” - 125 milliliters;
- white sparkling wine – 750 milliliters;
- sugar – 50 grams;
- white grapes - 1 bunch;
- orange - 1 piece;
- lemon – 1 piece;
- grapefruit – 1 piece.
Cocktail preparation process:
- Cut orange, grapefruit and lemon into slices without peeling. Place citrus fruits in a deep bowl.
- Add grapes to fruit. Add liqueur, brandy and sugar. Using a wooden spatula, stir the resulting mixture until the grains are completely dissolved. Place it in the refrigerator for two hours.
- After this, carefully squeeze out the juice from the citrus fruits using a wooden spatula. Add sparkling wine and stir.
- Pour the resulting sangria into a clear glass jug. Add ice cubes to champagne glasses before serving.
Types and varieties
Creative options made it possible to create many combinations of the drink, in each of which the sangria wine began to play in a new way.
Based on alcohol content, the drink can be 18 proof or non-alcoholic. Strong sangria always contains 40-proof alcohol. In non-alcoholic drinks, cola or lemonade plays the role of diluted wine; fruit pieces, sugar and spices are added to the composition.
Based on the presence of components, sangria is conventionally divided into:
- Quiet or normal. To prepare it, grapes and citrus slices are infused in wine. Carbonated drinks or sparkling wines are not used;
- Pink. The basis of the cocktail is not red, but rose wine;
- White. It uses white wine of any sweetness/dryness;
- Fruity. Here, among the main components there is a wide variety of fruits. Here the classic orange, peach and apple are supplemented or replaced with lime, strawberry, melon, watermelon, pineapple, etc.;
- Sparkling. The drink is prepared in several versions. At the end of preparation, sangria is supplemented with sparkling wine or champagne, or the water in the composition is replaced with soda, lemonade, or mineral water.
The Spaniards believe that nothing can spoil sangria. Any of the fantasy options is good, you just have to “adjust” it to your taste.
Effect on the body : refreshes, quenches thirst.
Strawberry sangria
Required ingredients for the cocktail:
The process for making strawberry sangria is as follows:
- Wash the fruit. Slice the orange without peeling it. Peel the strawberries and cut them in half. Place the fruit in a deep bowl.
- Add sugar to the container. Squeeze the juice from a quarter of a lemon there. Pour the resulting mixture with wine and add spices.
- Stir the drink well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Place in the refrigerator for two hours.
- After using a wooden spatula, gently mash the orange slices to better release the juice, stir the sangria and pour into a glass jug. Before serving, add ice cubes to glasses.
Sangria is a refreshing and tasty drink that gives the atmosphere of the sunny Spanish coast. You can prepare this cocktail with white, red or rose wine. To get sparkling sangria, it is recommended to use champagne or add carbonated drinks. Don't be afraid to experiment with fruits, because it's almost impossible to ruin this cocktail.
How to cook, serve and drink correctly
The drink must be prepared in a glass container. Typically, this purpose is served by a jug in which the finished sangria, along with a ladle, will later appear before the guests. Pour it with a ladle or a special spoon into the same glass and completely transparent glasses or mugs, cups. Pieces of fruit can only be present in a glass of fruit sangria, while other wine cocktail options are poured into glasses without solids.
It is not customary to snack on sangria, but in case of hunger it is possible. It will be complemented by fruits and cheeses, fish dishes or lean meats. Sangria is especially pleasant in the summer during lunch on the terrace or a romantic dinner in the fresh air.
During parties, ice is often added to the drink, but you don’t have to do this, because it will already spend several hours in the refrigerator. In winter, sangria is not refrigerated, served at room temperature and spices are added to it. However, you shouldn’t heat it up – it’s not mulled wine after all!
Sangria. Classic recipe
Ingredients needed to prepare this classic drink:
- dry red wine – 750 milliliters;
- Cointreau liqueur – 60 milliliters;
- sugar – 50 grams;
- mineral water without gas – 500 milliliters;
- orange - 1 piece;
- lemon – 1 piece.
To prepare a drink like sangria, the classic recipe involves the following sequence of actions:
- Boil water and add sugar to it. Stir until it is completely dissolved. This is done in order to subsequently avoid the settling of sugar crystals in the finished drink. Leave the syrup to cool.
- Wash the lemon and orange. Cut into slices along with the zest. Place the fruit in a deep bowl.
- Add chilled syrup and liqueur to the citrus fruits, mix and put in the refrigerator for two hours. This time is quite enough to saturate the drink with fruity aroma.
- After this time, it is recommended to slightly mash the fruit in the prepared mixture using a wooden spatula. This will make the drink even tastier and more aromatic.
- Pour wine into the prepared mixture and stir using the same wooden spatula.
- Pour sangria into a glass jug. Before serving, add ice cubes to glasses.
