Sangria seems to be everywhere this summer. It’s popping up on restaurant menus, and making regular appearances at cook-outs and summer parties. Like punch, it’s an easy choice for a party on summer evenings. Combine wine (or cider), some seasonal fruit, spices, ice, and maybe some soda water.
“Sangria is kind of the perfect party drink,” says Skye Gauzza, general manager at Golden Beetle in Seattle. Gauzza is a big fan of Sangria. “They don’t take a ton of planning. They’re something you can make the night before, serve it the next day, all while still having time to enjoy your guests.” Gauzza is teaching a sangria making class at Golden Beetle on August 16. The class will cover making sangria with white, red and rose wines, as well as how to sweeten sangria, and different fruit and flavor combinations.
When it comes to a recipe, Gauzza is more apt to adlib. “For me, sangria is often what I can find at the store, what I have at my house or what I have in my yard,” she says. “My aunt’s plum tree is full right now, so this weekend, it’s going to be sangria with plums.” Gauzza says she prefers a red wine base when the weather is a little cooler, but finds a white wine to work better when it’s really hot.
At St. Honore in Portland, the French bakery is pouring two cider sangrias. The Rouge Cider Sangria is made with Finnriver Black Currant Cider, raspberries, orange, pineapple, and honey. The Blanc Cider Sangria is a blend of 2 Towns Bright Cider, apple, honey, and mint. Cider offers a nice contrast to wine-based ciders, and has the benefit of more natural sweetness than wine.
There aren’t many rules when it comes to sangria, but Golden Beetle’s Gauzza cautions that it is necessary to have good fruit. She generally uses lemon, limes and oranges, in addition to fruits in season—like peaches, blueberries and strawberries in the summer. Overripe fruit can be problematic, since it can begin to ferment. Gauzza recommends fruit that is slightly underripe. Dried fruit works well, and frozen fruit has the added benefit of keeping the sangria chilled.
Sangrias can be made up to 24 hours in advance, or just an hour if that’s all you have. “It’s nice and refreshing, and also doesn’t have a ton of alcohol, so you don’t get totally trashed!” Gauzza says. “It’s kind of the perfect summer drink. It also travels really well—camping or to a potluck. Just serve it over ice topped with some soda water.”
Most sangrias include added sugar, or simple syrup, but if you want something drier, Gauzza recommends adding dry vermouth to add more flavor and zest, while cutting down on the sweetness. For flavors, Golden Beetle uses a lot of tinctures, such as orange peel or cinnamon. “You could just throw in a cinnamon stick overnight,” suggests Gauzza, if you don’t have cinnamon tincture laying around. Cinnamon pairs well with cherries; or consider adding ginger to some white wine; or lemongrass and pears to white wine. The combinations are endless. “Sangria is all about having fun and thinking about the flavors you like together and putting that with wine. It’s pretty hard to mess up,” says Gauzza.
White Wine Sangria, courtesy of Skye Gauzza
1 bottle dry white wine (Vino Verde or Pinot Grigio)
2 ounces Solerno blood orange liqueur (or other orange flavored liqueur)
1 cup blueberries
1 peach, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
Simple syrup, to taste
Mix ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Serve poured over ice, topped with soda water. If it is too bitter you can always add a splash of simple syrup.
Red Wine Sangria, courtesy of Skye Gauzza
1 bottle red wine
2 ounces creme de cassis (or other berry flavored liqueur)
2 ounces brandy
1 cup cherries, halved
1/2 cup figs, quartered
1 large or 2 small oranges, thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
Simple syrup, to taste
Mix ingredients and refrigerate overnight. Serve poured over ice, topped with soda water. If it is too bitter you can always add a splash of simple syrup.
