The Sangria

If you asked me to name one cocktail or drink that sums up creativity, fun, socialising with friends and partying, I'd have to say that not many would rival the sangria. The great thing about this drink is that there is no official recipe for it. It's completely up to you. Every bartender who i know who makes this drink has there own slight twist, and there is nothing wrong with any of them. The other great thing is, you don't need to be a master 'mixologist' or a cocktail guru to know how to put one  of these together. Any combination of red wine (or white wine for a sangria blanco), juices and fresh fruit does the job and it's always a hit at parties or when your out with a big group of people.

The Sangria was first invented in Spain. The word sangria is actually the Spanish word for bleeding, which refers to the look of the red wine which is used in a traditional sangria recipe. It is always served in big pitchers or jugs like a punch. The people of Spain and later Portugal, have been drinking this cocktail for hundreds of years. Some say as far back as the 1700s. There is no proof of this though. However, the story goes, back in the 1700's, the water in Spain was to dirty and not safe to drink. Water back then was only used for bathing and washing their horses. People's alternative was to drink milk, but milk was seen as being a babies drink. So the other safe alternative was wine. So to make the wine less alcoholic and therefore suitable for children, people added freshly squeezed juices and fruits, and the very first sangria's were born. In modern times, spirits have been added to the recipe to give the cocktail more kick.  This party drink exploded on to the world stage at the 1964 worlds fair in New York.

As mentioned earlier, everyone makes sangria different. I suppose there is no right or wrong way of serving it. I personally like to make it as tropical as possible. Start with chopped oranges, some strawberries and some pineapple pieces. I like to also add mango puree' and passion fruit pulp, but this is not essential. One ingredient that i do recommend you use is cinnamon. By throwing in a  couple of cinnamon sticks with your mixture, it can give the drink a nice little spice as you sip on your sangria. It also works well with the flavours of the red wine. Now add 15ml white rum, 15ml dark rum, 15ml brandy and 15ml Cointreau (or any type of triple sec). Next, add about 90ml of any type of red wine and top it up with orange juice, pineapple juice and apple juice. If you want, you can also add a little bit of soda water or lemonade.

As I'm sure you've gathered, the sangria is a drink with hundreds of different variations. So it's important when making your sangria that you put you own little personal touch on your drink.  I hope I've given you some ideas. Have fun!!!

In a Jug or Pitcher Add:
Chopped Oranges, Pineapples and strawberries
Dash of Mango puree and Passion fruit pulp (Optional)
2 - 3 Cinnamon Sticks
15ml White Rum
15ml Dark Rum
15ml Cointreau
15ml Brandy
90ml Red Wine
Top up with Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice and Apple Juice
(Soda Water or Lemonade Optional)