¡Sangría!
All this talk about a Trader Joe’s coming to town, a rumor-turned-reality that was (for reasons that must make sense in the newspaper world) front page news, above the fold, two days in a row. All this means to me is a coming glut of grocery stores, the destruction of already occupied buildings and displacement of their tenants, and the type of cluster at the intersection of Merrimon and Chestnut that is not fit to print.
But for a single exception, I’m sticking with my local wine shops.
That exception is the box. I love 5 liter wine boxes. Wine that stays fresh for weeks is wine that is on hand for cooking, and a massively cost saving pour for guests who don’t care about the nuances. It is also essential for making practical Sangria.
To begin with, there is the price-per-750mL (the amount in a standard bottle of wine) most often below $3. I prefer a boxed Sauvignon Blanc to all the other choices of boxed white wine. Drier, it is also for use in spritzers and cocktails. Any drink can be made sweeter.
This has been a summer for experimenting with gin. North Carolina made Cardinal is my favorite for $30, Citadelle is my favorite for $19. The cocktails are made with a splash of peach and orange liqueurs made by the beverage mixer-maker Stirrings.
This brings us back to Sangria, and having a fun summer drink on hand in various forms with good and, in the spirit of my gin cocktails, safely random mixtures of flavors.
Keep in mind that good Sangria requires good fruit. It is tempting, but too costly to buy pre-cut fruit. You really need to know how to slice and chop it on your own. If you are a danger to yourself with a knife, go to the kitchen store and buy a cheap mandolin. (Mine cost twenty dollars and has lasted for over a decade. It will quickly pay for itself.) Slice the fruit thin so more flavors get combined in the mix.
There are many ways to make Sangria – no “right way,” but I have learned that there are some general tricks to remember. Red wine Sangria goes with better with fruits like apples and pears. Citrus should be reserved for white wine versions. Melon works with both. Pink Sangrias can benefit from vodka and grapefruit.
It is important to leave the ice out while the flavors blend, otherwise you will get diluted sangria. Also, if you like soda water, add it to your glass rather than the batch.
Make an effort to discover your secret ingredient for a recipe you can call your own. I love watermelon. For another example, you can substitute brandy with rum. Think about adding mango.
These recipes are for big batches. I use one of those huge orange coolers with a spout, the kind they use on construction sites.
Sangria Blanca – white wine sangria
A 5 liter box of white wine
Sugar is optional, how sweet do you want it? Always second-guess your choice for sugar
Juice of three fat oranges
Juice of three fat lemons
Pint of cheap Gallo brandy
Pint of cheap triple sec
Three thin-sliced oranges
Three thin-sliced lemonsbr
A couple of handfuls of cantaloupe and honeydew
Three handfuls of thin-sliced watermelon (Be sure the watermelon has not attained that weird flavor and smell it gets when warm and overripe.)
Let it sit for a while, chilled overnight is ideal, for the flavors to blend. If it doesn’t fit in the fridge, use ice or blue blocks sealed in a clean plastic bag. Hold the ice and club soda until serving time.
You can follow the above for Red wine Sangria, just remember that apples and pears are better than citrus. Adding a hint of anise can be delightful here. Using rum, especially dark rum, can be better than brandy.
Sangria Roja – red wine sangria
A 5 liter of cheap red
3 cups sugar (optional)
10 oz. brandy (dark spiced rum is good, too)
6 apples, thin-sliced
6 pears, thin-sliced
6 handfuls of thin-sliced watermelon
Let it stand for several hours and hold the ice and club soda until serving time.
Sangria Rosada – pink sangria
(I like this one with grapefruit and vodka because I love Greyhounds. If bitter is not your taste, try strawberries and pineapples, or even a flavored vodka.)
5 liter box of pink wine
1 large grapefruit
1 large orange
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
vodka to taste