Sangria, a wine cocktail with roots in Spain, delivers some serious party punch with a squeeze of fresh citrus and your favorite budget-friendly wine. Following a basic sangria recipe gives you room to improvise with your own tasty touch. Love berries? Throw some in. Tropical fruit fan? Add some pineapple to the pitcher. Prefer bourbon to brandy? Go ahead and substitute. While you can serve sangria right away use chilled wine and pour it over plenty of ice , it tastes even better after the flavors meld together in the refrigerator for a day.
Origins of Sangria
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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Learn how to make authentic Spanish sangria with this easy sangria recipe. I know, it was a major shocker to us too when we moved here. Granted, Spaniards do proudly take the credit for sangria, although the details of its origins are murky.
Sangria Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Under EU regulations [1] only those two Iberian nations can label their product as Sangria; similar products from different regions are differentiated in name. A punch , sangria traditionally consists of red wine and chopped fruit , often with other ingredients or spirits. Sangria is one of the most popular drinks in Spanish cuisine. It is commonly served in bars , restaurants , and chiringuitos , and at festivities throughout Portugal and Spain. Sangaree , a predecessor drink to sangria that was served either hot or cold, likely originated in the Caribbean West Indies , [6] [7] and from there was introduced to mainland America, where it was common beginning in the American colonial era but "largely disappeared in the United States" by the early twentieth century. Sangria recipes vary wildly even within Spain, with many regional distinctions. Traditionally may be mixed with local fruits such as peaches , nectarines , berries , apples , pears , or global fruits such as pineapple or lime , [8] and sweetened with sugar and orange juice.
We were tired and hangry, to say the least. Eventually, they slumber only to do it all over again the next day. Oh, and did I mention they gifted the world with sangria? Does it get any better than this lush, fruity beverage? I think not. The earliest versions of sangria believed to have originated more than 2, years ago when Romans, making their way through the Iberian Peninsula, planted vineyards along the way. And because drinking water was unsafe, it was often fortified with wine, spices, and herbs. The earliest versions of what we now know as sangria were made in England and France in the s, and sangria was eventually popularized after its formal arrival in the U. Despite its global popularity and common association with Spain, there is no official formula for sangria in Spain and locals are more often known to enjoy a drink similar to sangria known as tinto de verano.
