Sangria!

I would drink sangria more. There's nothing quite like a good sangria.  And of course, these recipes, from the Smitten Kitchen, sound outstanding.


Two Sangrias
The first recipe is a classic, not very sweet sangria with a moderate yield and a minimum of odd ingredients. It’s the little black dress/white oxford of sangrias. Susan Spungen recommends trying it with white wine instead of red in the summer, and adding peaches or berries too. The second is the one we fell in love with at a small restaurant in our neighborhood. It’s much less sweet (it has barely a pinch of sugar in it, though you can add more), and tastes mostly of wine, with a little pep from fizz, and it makes a whole lot. Rose is added to lighten the mixture. The chef, Rafael Mateo, recommends you let it “knit” together overnight, and only adding the fruit to each glass to serve. 

Classic Sangria
From Susan Spungen’s What’s a Hostess To Do?

• 1 bottle dry red wine 
• 1 tablespoon sugar 
• 1/4 cup brandy 
• 1/4 cup Triple sec or another orange liqueur 
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 
• Sliced peaches, apples, oranges or berries, tossed with a squeeze of lemon juice 
• Sparkling water, if desired 

Mix the wine, sugar, brandy, liqueur and orange juice in a large pitcher. Add fruit and let sit in the fridge until needed. Add some sparkling water (if using) right before serving. A slotted spoon will help guests hold back the fruit while pouring their glasses, and spoon some on top if desired.

Pata Negra’s Sangria
Adapted from the restaurant, via The New York Times 

• 2 bottles dry Spanish red wine (they recommend garnacha) 
• 1 bottle dry Spanish rosé (they recommend this to lighten the body of the sangria) 
• 1 ounce orange liqueur (such as Triple Sec or Torres) 
• 2 ounces brandy, preferably Spanish, such as Romate 
• 1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste 
• 2 apples, cored and diced, for garnish (I used one red and one green, for color) 
• 2 oranges, cut into wedges, for garnish 
• 12 ounces (1 can) orange soda (they recommend less sweet brands such as San Pellegrino aranciata) 

In a large vessel, combine wines, liqueur, brandy and sugar. Mix fruit and set aside. Right before serving, pour in soda. Fill glasses with ice, and pour sangria over. Garnish with fruit.