The first Sangria recipe I was ever taught to batch in a bar had Tanqueray, Peach Schnapps, Triple Sec, a splash of Cherry Heering, Pineapple/Orange/Lime juice, oh - and a little red wine. We measured the entire thing in a bartender's shaking tin (4 fingers of Tanqueray, 3 Peach Schnapps, etc). The resulting slurry was mostly sugar and all headache.
At some point years ago, I decided to go digging for the origins of Sangria. I'm a ground up kind of bartender, if you understand the origin of a drink, you can make the best possible modern version of it today.
As with the history of most cocktails, there are multiple versions of the story and multiple similar styles of the drink that seem to come up around the same time. The simplest iteration is that Sangria is of Spanish origin, becoming popular in the 1800's, and is typically comprised of red wine, citrus or other fruits, and brandy.
So, working with simplicity in mind, I bring you The Sangria Template. You can adapt this recipe to work with red wine, white wine or rosé, and substitute in any of your favorite fruits or herbs. These two are just my go-to recipes for Red and White Sangria, but I often stray depending on what's fresh in the garden or looks good on the shelves of the grocery store. And you'll see below, the recipe is infinitely adaptable. It's just wine, fruit, and a little bit of sweetened brandy.
Red Berry Basil Sangria
750ml of a medium bodied fruity wine (eg Garnacha or a dry Zindanfel)
200ml Grand Marnier
1C of chopped mixed berries (I usually use whatever I have on hand - usually some mix of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries)
A sprig or so of basil
1.5oz of Mathilde Blackberry Liqueur
Soak the berries in the Grand Marnier overnight. Put them in a sealed container and leave them at room temperature.The next day, combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher and let cool in the fridge for a few hours. Serve the Sangria over ice and top with club soda to taste.
White Peach Sangria
750ml of a crisp white wine (eg American Sauvignon Blanc or Albariño)
200ml Grand Marnier
1C of chopped peaches (about 3 peaches)
1.5oz of Mathilde Peche Liqueur
Soak the peaches in the Grand Marnier overnight. Put them in a sealed container and leave them at room temperature.The next day, combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher and let cool in the fridge for a few hours. Serve the Sangria over ice and top with club soda to taste.
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