summer of sangria

It’s probably a little too late in the season to be making any sweeping declarations about sangria, but I can’t help myself. Inspired by this article in Wednesday’s food section of the SJR, Sarah and I decided to try our hand at making our own fruity concoction.

The first time I had sangria I was 17, packed into the back room of a bodega in Madrid with a dozen or so of my peers. The sangria — deep red and refreshing — really packed a punch, though I don’t think any of us guessed at the alcohol content until after we had downed several glasses. For most of us, underage American students spending their first night of a European tour in Spain, it was the first time we’d been legally able to drink. Of course we overindulged, teetering our way back to the hostel on unsteady legs.

A couple of weeks ago, I dragged Sarah home to Kansas City for my brother’s wedding. In true Moxley form, my father took us out for appetizers after the ceremony, ordering three pitchers of sangria to split between the eight or so of us waiting for the reception to start. Before that night, the last sangria I drank had come from a bottle labeled “Boone’s Farm” that for some reason paled in comparison to the drink I’d had in Spain. Needless to say, after traipsing through the woods two miles away from my apartment while under the influence, I had sworn off sangria. La Bodega’s signature sangria blanco (their secret appears to be brandy and orange liquer) was enough to change my mind.

white sangria

750 mL white wine (we used a $6 bottle of Beringer Pinot Grigio)
3/4 c pineapple orange juice
scant 1/4 c lemon juice
rum to taste
2 pineapple rounds and juice
handful cherries, pitted
juice of 1 Clementine, 2 Clementines for garnish
sugar to taste
ginger ale to taste

serves 4

Sangria is an incredibly flexible beverage. I went with the Beringer because it’s cheap enough to dilute with juice but crisp enough to have a nice fruity undertone. Sarah and I only added a couple of shots of rum (Bacardi 151) because it was all we had on hand. Next time, we’ll probably try flavored rum and brandy for a stronger punch.

We pitted our own Rainier cherries, which were slightly overripe and probably past the point where they would taste good on their own. Once we’d juiced our Clementine (again, we went with what was available — regular oranges probably would have been preferable, but when we went to the store, the naval oranges weren’t as fresh), we put the concoction in the fridge to let the flavors blend. After chilling for about an hour, we added sugar and ginger ale to taste.

What would I do differently next time? Sarah will be pleased to hear that besides ratcheting up the alcohol content, I’ll say no to diet soda. I think we could have cut how much sugar we used had we gone for full-flavor ginger ale.

This white sangria paired well with a light summer pasta dish. I would hold out for red sangria if you’re planning to pair it with tapas.