Sangria could be the epitome of the perfect summer cocktail. It’s cold, refreshing and crisp; exactly what you need during the hot summer months. At home, I make a pretty delicious sangria (if I do say so myself - and I do), perfect for enjoying in the hot weather.
Since I don’t have a pool, beach, or front porch at my immediate disposal in Brooklyn, I gladly go with luxuriating on the balcony at my friend’s house in Astoria, Queens, sipping sangria all the livelong day.
I really enjoy this sangria recipe because it is not overly sweet, but is incredibly refreshing.
Photo courtesy of colonnade via Flickr/cc
The Ultimate Sangria
(Serves 4 people, with room for refills)2 Bottles of Beringer White Zinfandel (I prefer using White Zinfandel to red because it is lighter and crisper, and mixes well with any fruit I decide to use)
½ cup Remy Martin VSOP
½ cup Absolut Peach Vodka
1 can papaya juice
1 can guava juice
1 cup cranberry juice (NOT cocktail)
½ bag frozen peaches, sliced
½ box fresh strawberries, quartered
½ box blueberries
The beauty of sangria is how versatile it is. It never needs to be made from a standard recipe like so many other cocktails and punches seem to. In fact, you can pretty much make sangria any way you like, as long as you incorporate the key ingredients: wine, fruit, sweetener, brandy. The kind of wine and fruit you use, and any other ingredients you want to throw in as well, are all up to you. This is what makes sangria such a fun, experimental cocktail. Red sangria, white sangria, sparkling sangria? It’s completely up to you.
So this summer, while you’re baking in the hot summer rays, consider mixing up a refreshing batch of sangria to cool you down. Try to use as much seasonal and fresh fruit as you can, but don’t veto the use of frozen fruits as well. If you aren’t planning to use the whole bag of fruit you bought, store it in the freezer. It will be just as good when you want it for the next batch of sangria you make.
Cheers, to your perfect summer sangria.
Here are some of our favorite summertime sangrias for you to enjoy. Have any suggestions? Leave them in our comments section below!
Classic Sangria
From AllRecipes.comIngredients:
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
1 ½ cups rum (We recommend Bacardi)
½ cup white sugar
1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
Preparation:
Pre-chill the fruit, rum, wine and orange juice. Slice the lemon, lime and orange into thin rounds and put into a large pitcher. Add in rum and sugar. Chill in the refrigerator to develop the flavors. When ready to serve, crush the fruit lightly and stir in the wine and orange juice. Adjust the sweetness to your own taste.
White Peach Sangria
From AllRecipes.comIngredients:
1 bottle dry white wine
¾ cup peach flavored vodka (We recommend Van Gogh Peach Vodka)
6 Tbsp frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
¼ cup white sugar
1 lb white peaches, pitted and sliced
¾ cup seedless red grapes, halved
¾ cup seedless green grapes, halved
Preparation:
In a large pitcher, combine the wine, vodka, lemonade and sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then add in the peaches and grapes. Refrigerate until well chilled to blend the flavors. Serve over ice, and use a slotted spoon to include sliced peaches and grapes with each glass.
Champagne Sangria
From FoodNetwork.comIngredients:
1 bottle Prosecco or French Champagne, chilled
½ cup orange juice
2 cups Mint Simple Syrup**
1 lemon, zested and thinly sliced
1 lime, zested and thinly sliced
½ cup sliced strawberries
5 fresh mint sprigs
Crushed ice
Preparation:
In a large pitcher, combine the Prosecco, orange juice, mint syrup, lemon zest and lime zest. Add the sliced strawberries, lemon slices, lime slices and mint sprigs. Fill the glasses with crushed ice and pour the sangria over top.
**Mint Simple Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
Combine the sugar, water and mint in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Strain.
Peach Basil Sangria
From AllRecipes.comIngredients:
¾ cup white sugar
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
3 ½ cups peach nectar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 bottle Pinot Grigio
Combine the sugar, basil, half of the peach nectar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a summer, crushing the basil leaves with the back of a spoon to release their flavor. Simmer long enough to melt the sugar, then remove from the heat and cool. Strain into a pitcher filled with ice cubes. Pour in the wine and peach nectar. Stir and serve.
Spicy Sangria
From FoodRepublic.comIngredients:
1 red chile pepper, sliced
2 ½ oz white wine
1 oz vodka (we recommend Ketel One)
1 oz Triple Sec
½ oz lime juice, fresh
⅓ oz elderberry cordial
½ oz cranberry juice
1 tsp cucumber, diced
lemon-lime soda
Preparation:
In a tall glass, muddle the chile pepper. Add ice, and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Top with lemon-lime soda.
Comments
How big should those cans of guava and papaya juice be in the Ultimate Sangria?
Jun 28, 2012 at 1:04 PM
Great question! I use the smaller cans available at my grocery store, they are around 8 ounces. You can use as much as you want though to make it taste however you like!
Jun 28, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Thank you for the great sangria recipes. Yum! I can't wait to try them!
Jun 28, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Let us know how they turn out for you!
Jun 28, 2012 at 2:05 PM
sorry I live in Spain and that is not a classic Sangria and how can you have sangria with champagne or prosecco when it of course is Catalan and should be with cava...and the Andalucian version is fino sherry with sprite and mint and is called a rebujito. A few key mistakes to this well meaning article...
Jun 28, 2012 at 4:43 PM
@Rich Bloor I agree. How can you have a sangria article that makes no mention of spanish wine? Disappointing update, TheSpirit.
Jun 28, 2012 at 7:25 PM
le
I like the "spirit" of the article but its a...losing battle when you publish: "you can pretty much make sangria any way you like, as long as you incorporate the key ingredients: wine, fruit, sweetener, brandy..." and THEN, you give several recipes without brandy. Dios Mio!
Jun 29, 2012 at 12:45 AM
This sounds delicious.
Jun 29, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Terrible. Terrible. Call these recipes anything you like but NOT sangria.
Jun 30, 2012 at 7:03 AM
I would agree the recipes are lacking. I make mine with Menage a Trois, a California Red. It's a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Then I add Triple Sec, Brandy, Capt Morgans Spiced Rum, freshly squeezed oranges, lemons, and also some frozen lemonade. I slice oranges, lemons and limes and also through in some Maraschino Cherries. Instead of sugar, I use a sugar substitute to cut the calories. Not that it makes a big difference considering everything else in the drink. It's best when it can rest chillin in the frig overnight. I like to pour mine in a glass and add some Seltzer Water over the top. It adds a little fizz. I can't tell you how famous I am for my Sangria, at least with those that have tried it.
Jul 24, 2012 at 3:50 PM
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