Tag Archive - sangria

“mangria” = blue moon sangria.

January 26, 2012 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy with 6 Comments

It’s not a secret that I love sangria.

It’s not a secret, and it’s really not that exciting. Us ladies, we like sangria. Not rocket science. Heck, most dudes I know will polish off a glass (pitcher?) or two if it’s put in front of them. Daniel certainly will, and that’s because of more than the fact that I make it so damn often, in every flavor combination I can dream up to go with every season, every type of menu, every type of, well, everything.

Yes, Daniel will polish off a pitcher of sangria because he likes it – quite possibly as much as I do.

But don’t get it twisted…he likes beer even better. You’d be disgusted to know how many beers he can throw back in a sitting. Let’s just say we don’t have enough pitchers in the house to make a fair comparison. So what happens when I concoct a beverage that combines the the best of both worlds?

Other than the obvious result – a super-crunk Daniel – “mangria” is born.

Ladies, don’t be fooled by the name – I think you’ll love this cocktail, too. Even if you don’t like beer, I think you’ll be into this. I mean, why didn’t we think of it sooner? The beer is a perfect vehicle to get a good sangria going. Blue Moon and citrus, as we all know, are already pretty much going steady, and the pear-vibe adds another crispy-sweet dimension. I used the Winter Abbey Ale – because hey, it is winter after all, and why not get totally seasonal here, what with the citrus and the pears? I’ve made it with the regular version as well, which is a bit lighter and less caramel-ly and just begging to be made on a hot summer day.

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watermelon sangria.

August 16, 2011 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy with 2 Comments

Here’s what I can tell you about this sangria: It’s dangerous.

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I’m going with dangerous in a good way. I consider any specialty cocktail that has you and your guests dancing on the couches in the middle of the day to be a great thing, in fact. I suppose it could be dangerous in a bad sense, if you consider how your head feels the next day.

I’ve also discovered as I’m writing this that I’m somewhat obsessed with sangria.

Continue Reading…

{life’s a} peach sangria.

August 2, 2011 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy with 1 Comment

Tell me you’ve walked by the peaches at the grocery store or the market lately.

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The scent of peaches this time of year is just *intoxicating.*

I buy them every time I pass them – I can’t help myself. Usually, I take them plain. No cutting them up or anything silly like that. Just sticky, fresh peach juice dribbling down my chin, and probably falling onto whatever papers I have sitting in front of me while I work. Because no amount of napkins ever seems to be enough for the juice of ripe, fresh peaches.

I also like to bake with them. If I had a grill, I’d love to cook with them. And, of course, I like to make drinks with them.

This sangria is special because not only are you using diced peaches, you’re also adding fresh peach pureé to the mix. The end result is so much… peachier… than what you’d get from adding the diced fruit alone.

You can use any other fruit you’d like. I used green apples, because I love apples in sangria – and their crisp flavor is a natural match for peach sangria. You could go solo on the peaches – you could do thin, pretty slices instead of dicing them, if you prefer.

No matter which way you choose, life’s a peach – enjoy it.

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Peach Sangria

  • 2 bottles of pinot grigio
  • 1 cup Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • 4 peaches (2 pureéd and strained, 2 diced)
  • 1 cup diced fruit of your choosing
  • 1/2 cup – 1 cup simple syrup
Combine chilled ingredients in a large pitcher, adding simple syrup to taste. If possible, make a few hours in advance to give the flavors time to meld.

sangria blanco.

March 29, 2011 in Cocktails with 1 Comment

I’ve been obsessing over white sangria as of late.

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It’s so crisp, so refreshing. I think it’s the perfect spring/summer drink.

Because this was the first batch I ever made, I wanted to keep it classic. I followed a similar strategy to that of my red sangria, only using white wine instead of red, and a dash of champagne instead of the sparkling water. I also added a little Cointreau for it’s lovely orange flavor.

I love that it’s still so easy to tailor to your tastes; you can certainly play with the amounts of sugar, brandy, and Cointreau until you strike the balance you like. The one danger is that because it tastes so light and refreshing, you may not realize how much you’re drinking until it’s too late – I think the combo of all of the different liquors has a tendency to sneak up on you!

And as is the case with all sangria, it’s best if you can make it the night before, so that they flavors have a chance to meld together properly.

Trust me – there’s nothing better than waking up to a pitcher of sangria, ready-made! A good day, indeed.

{Stay tuned for more renditions on white sangria}

Sangria Blanco

  • 1 lemon, sliced
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • 1 orange, sliced
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 1 nectarine or peach, diced
  • 1 cup white seedless grapes, halved
  • Sugar
  • 1 cup brandy
  • 1/2 cup Cointreau or other orange liqueur
  • 2 bottles pinot grigio {or 1 jumbo bottle}
  • 1/2 bottle  Spanish cava or other champagne/sparkling wine

Add fruit to pitcher. Sprinkle with sugar (start with 1/4 cup – you can always add more later). Pour brandy and Cointreau over the sugared fruit. Stir gently to combine.

Pour wine into pitcher. Taste, adding more liquor or sugar if necessary. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Serve over ice if desired, and top each glass with sparkling wine.

sangria + tapas.

November 10, 2010 in Cocktails, Dinner Party Worthy, Obsessed, Starters with 7 Comments

Do you ever feel like you have *a ton* of favorite things?

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I do.

I tend to get obsessive over the things I love. Instead of saying, “I really enjoy sangria and tapas,” I feel it’s necessary to tell you that sangria and tapas is basically my favorite thing in the world.

And the thing is, I mean it. Don’t you worry about the fact that a good antipasti platter, the perfect margarita, and all things truffle are also my favorite. They still are.

Isn’t there enough love to go around? I don’t want to have just one favorite thing. Especially not when discussing food. Or cocktails.

Because, you know… Food and cocktails are my favorite.

Lucky for me, Daniel shares the same love of tapas and sangria as I do. And while we love going out to our favorite little Spanish restaurant for plate after plate of Spanish meats and cheeses, we’ve since discovered how very easy and perfect it is to create an equally delicious {albeit more simple} spread at home.

And you’ll be amazed at just how simple it is to throw together. Sangria is pretty difficult to screw up, and I think it’s fun because you can customize it according to your tastes, adding your own favorite fruits, and making it as sweet {or brandy-soaked} as you’d like. Remember, the longer you can make it ahead of time the better – that way, the fruit has time to soak up all of the brandy and wine.

The tapas are no more difficult; you can purchase most of your Spanish-themed goodies from the local deli or specialty foods shop. Just grab a block of Manchego, some Serrano ham, a few pre-marinated olives, and a container of Marcona almonds and you’re more than good to go (Whole Foods should carry it all). The marinated chickpea salad is just as easy; you likely have all of the ingredients already in your pantry, give-or-take the fresh herbs and scallions.

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Perfect Sangria

  • A bottle of good Spanish red wine
  • Brandy {we used Spanish-brand Fundador}
  • Club soda or sparkling water {we used lime-flavored Pellegrino}
  • Sugar
  • Fruit of your choice (we used apples, pears, oranges, lemons, limes, and grapes}

Chop fruit into bite-sized pieces. If you’re using citrus fruits, I recommend peeling some of the oranges and sectioning them so you can eat the fruit as you’re drinking, whereas lemons and limes can simply be sliced with the skin left intact.

Place fruit in a pitcher – I like to use a glass one. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons {more or less, depending on how sweet you like it} over the fruit, and add a good pour of brandy to the pitcher. No need to overdo it, because you can always add more later. Let the fruit soak up some of that goodness from the brandy and sugar for a few minutes, and give it a nice stir.

Pour bottle of wine and about a cup or so of club soda into the pitcher. Give it a stir and a taste; add more brandy/club soda/sugar as necessary.

Tapas Plate

  • A nice loaf of country bread
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Assorted marinated olives
  • Marcona almonds
  • Manchego cheese, broken into chunks
  • Marinated chickpea salad, recipe below

Marinated Chickpea Salad

Adapted from Real Simple

  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and black pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Still hungry? Stay tuned for the next piece of this Spanish-themed pie… Paella!