Recipes for Delicious Winter Sangria

The Ultimate Winter Sangria Recipe

Sangria, which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for “bleeding,” is a restaurant menu favorite, but many don’t know what the drink is, and others think that it is a summer drink. Sangria is an alcoholic drink from Spain, Ireland, and Portugal. Yes, that is quite a strange combination of nations, but the result is a delicious wine drink that can be enjoyed year-round. Sangria is typically made with red wine, chopped fruit, an added sweetener, and some brandy. Sangria is incredibly versatile, allowing you added the fruits you like best. People have put everything from orange, lime, apple, and peach, to melon, pineapple, kiwi, and more.

Sangria is made in a batch and served in a pitcher, making it the perfect beverage to have friends over and enjoy together. Below are two recipes for great sangrias - the first being a traditional recipe, keeping you close to the roots, and the second an apple cider sangria recipe for a unique autumn/winter spin on a classic.

Classic Sangria

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 apples

2 oranges

½ cup brandy

¼ cup orange liqueur

1 bottle (750 ml) red wine

2 to 3 cups chilled sparkling water (for sweeter sangria, use tonic water)

Directions:

1.Cut up the oranges and apples into thin slices or wedges, if you prefer. Leave the peels on.

2.Put the fruit into a pitcher and add the brandy, orange liqueur, and wine. Stir it all together.

3.Cover the pitcher and refrigerate the sangria for at least 4 hours, although overnight is recommended. A fair warning: tasting the sangria at this stage will be lackluster and disappointing. The flavor changes completely, becoming sweeter and softer, after it spend the night in the fridge.

4.When you’re ready to serve the sangria, top it off with the sparkling water, stirring gently. When pouring sangria into glasses, spoon a few pieces of fruit into the glass, too.

Apple Cider Sangria with Bubbles

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced

½ cup cognac

2 cups apple cider

1 bottle (750 ml) chilled dry sparkling wine

¼ cup pomegranate seeds

Directions:

1.Place the apple slices into a large pitcher, but first set aside about half a cup of apple for garnishment later.

2.Add the cognac, apple cider, and dry sparkling wine to the pitcher and stir.

3.Fill the pitcher with ice.

4.When serving, pour the sangria into glasses that are filled with ice and place an apple slice and some pomegranate seeds on top.