Sangria seems to go in and out of fashion like a denim jacket - they never completely go away, but when they're in, they're EVERYWHERE. (I keep my denim jacket in the wardrobe so I can wear it every 3-4 years... )
The good news is that the denim jacket isn't 'coming back in' just yet, but Sangria IS!
I love sangria; it's SOOOOO much better than Pimm's on a summer's day, and although not quite as British, there's no denying sangria is perfect for sunshine social drinking.
The even better news is that sangria is evolving. Wine is being touted as the new 'long drink', and lower-alcohol versions, posh spritzers and sangrias will be leading the revolution.
Here's a few recipes of boss-level Sangria's that will delight your Bank Holiday BBQ guests!
The Albarino
Ingredients:- Bottle of Albarino - This one from Waitrose is brilliant, and not too pricey for what we're doing to it
- 500ml bottle of Fever Tree Sicilian Lemonade - also available from Waitrose
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- Agave Syrup - cheap as chips in most supermarket alcohol sections.
First up, slap the rosemary on the kitchen table to release the flavour and aroma, and add to the 500ml of Sicilian Lemonade. Leave for 10 minutes or so to infuse the flavour.
In a jug, pour the Albarino over loads of ice and add the infused-Lemonade. Sweeten the mix with the Agave Syrup to taste, and garnish simply with the Rosemary sprigs.
The Hugo
Ingredients:
- Bottle of Cava - Codorníu Brut NV from Majestic will do, there's no point spending £20 on any of these wines if we're just going to add stuff to it.
- Elderflower cordial - Belvoir is by far the best in my opinion
- 150ml sparkling mineral water
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 3 large sprigs of mint
The Hugo has taken the Ski resorts of Europe by storm in the last couple of years. Normally made with Prosecco, my Spanish-spin replaces this with Cava (which is made using the same sort of method as Champagne, unlike Prosecco).
Crush and muddle the mint leaves with the wedges of 1 lime and add to a jug with Ice.
Add about 75ml of Elderflower cordial and stir. Don't add too much, we don't want to over-sweeten it.
Add about 75ml of Elderflower cordial and stir. Don't add too much, we don't want to over-sweeten it.
Pour in the sparkling mineral water and top with desired amount of Cava, tasting it intermittently to get the perfect ratio.
Garnish with the wedges of the other lime and more sprigs of mint. You can even add some pineapple wedges to the garnish if you fancy it.
The Pink One
Ingredients:
- Bottle of rose Zinfandel - Here's a great one, again from Waitrose (please don't use Gallo...)
- 300ml pink grapefruit juice
- 70ml strawberry puree (or just muddle 10 strawberries into the jug)
- 100ml sparkling mineral water
- 75ml elderflower cordial
- Strawberries, sliced grapefruit and mint to garnish
By far the favourite with the ladies!
Muddle the strawberries, or pour the puree into the jug with the ice. Add the grapefruit juice and stir well.
Pour in the Zinfandel and top with the sparkling mineral water to add a refreshing spritz.
If the strawberries, elderflower and Zinfandel do not provide enough sweetness, add a little more elderflower.
Muddle the strawberries, or pour the puree into the jug with the ice. Add the grapefruit juice and stir well.
Pour in the Zinfandel and top with the sparkling mineral water to add a refreshing spritz.
If the strawberries, elderflower and Zinfandel do not provide enough sweetness, add a little more elderflower.
Garnish the sangria with strawberries, sliced pink grapefruit and a few mint leaves.
El Classico
Ingredients:
Bottle of Rioja - Buy two bottles of THIS one from Majestic for just £6.66 each!
50ml Pedro Ximenez sherry - Also BRILLIANT chilled, as an Aperitif!
50ml Spanish brandy
200ml lemonade
200ml orange juice
1 vanilla pod
75ml creme de cassis
2 x apples and an orange
Slice open the Vanilla Pod and mix with the Sherry, Brandy and Cassis in a jug and add ice.
Pour in the Rioja, orange juice and lemonade and stir well. Garnish with diced apple & orange slices.
Pour in the Rioja, orange juice and lemonade and stir well. Garnish with diced apple & orange slices.
Want to really impress your guests? Layer your El Classico as follows:
Pour the cassis, pedro ximenez sherry and brandy mixture into the bottom of the jug.
Using a spoon to break its fall, gently pour the orange juice slowly on to the spoon so that it sits on top of the cassis mixture.
Repeat this process with the red wine, so that it sits on top of the orange.
Finally, repeat again with the lemonade, and gently add the ice and garnish. Serve with a stirring spoon.
I've got loads of other ideas, but I'll save them for sunnier days (probably next year now), but why not try experimenting with Cava, range juice, peach puree & lavender?
I've got loads of other ideas, but I'll save them for sunnier days (probably next year now), but why not try experimenting with Cava, range juice, peach puree & lavender?
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