One of the best vacations I ever had was a trip with my parents to Spain. I was a sophomore in college and we met my sister as a follow up to her study aboard program. Throughout our trip, I fell deeply in love with Spanish culture. The vibrant cities, the gorgeous fashion, the rich history, it is unmatched. You honestly haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a Spanish churro with a side of hot chocolate. One of my most vivid memories of Spain was sitting on a patio of a restaurant with my family as we waited for our dinner. It was there that I drank the best sangria that I’ve ever had. Now that warmer weather is here, I’m recreating that moment with my favorite traditional Spanish sangria recipe!
You will need:
- One and a half bottles of a young table wine (you honestly don’t need anything too fancy for Sangria) Tres Picos or Dancing Bull are my top recommendations.
- 1 lemon
- 2 oranges
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons sugar ( this is optional)
- 1 green apple (I love the apple and highly recommend it)
- 2 peaches or apricots (optional)
- Carbonated beverage (lemon soda, orange soda, soda water) (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by washing the lemon and the oranges. Cut of as much of the rind as possible (set aside) and juice the lemon and the oranges.
- If you’re using the sugar (it will sweeten up the sangria), you’ll need to create a simple syrup by dissolve the sugar in two tablespoons of water over low heat in a sauce pan. Let cool after dissolving.
- In a large pitcher, mix together the wine, simple syrup, orange juice and lemon juice. Add in the chunks of lemon and orange rind.
- Next, add the cinnamon stick and let sit at least two hours (overnight is preferred) before serving in wine glasses over ice.
- If you want to modernize your sangria version add in the green apple and the peach slices. You can also add a splash of carbonation with the lemon soda, orange soda, or soda water to create a pop of fizz.
Salud!
-xo
