Fat Tuesdays: My Homemade Sangria
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Whenever I throw a function at my house, my homemade sangria always steals the show.
There could be a tray full of scrumptious homemade red velvet cupcakes sitting out.
Bottles of Grey Goose and Hennessy ready to be poured.
A pan of piping hot mac n' cheese waiting to be devoured.
And without fail, everyone flocks (and stays very close to) the punchbowl full of my spiked red wine goodness.
I even get requests to make it at other people's functions.
It's all the rave!
Google: "How to make sangria" and you'll find tons of recipes at your fingertips. Except, they ain't mine!
After lots of trial and error and many tipsy nights from numerous taste testings, I can say I've finally mastered my sangria recipe.
It was my intention to take this recipe with me to the grave. But it ain't no fun if the homies can't have none.
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What you'll need:
- A 1 gallon Pitcher
- 1 jug of Carlos Rossi Sangria
- Bacardi Rum
- Cointreau or Triple Sec
- Ginger Ale
- Lemon Juice
- Water
- White Sugar
- 1 Orange
- 2 Apples
- Fill the pitcher half way with the wine.
- Add a shot of Bacardi
- A 1/2 a shot of Cointreau (Cointreau is pricey. You can substitute that with Triple Sec but I prefer Cointreau as it gives the sangria a smooth, velvety taste.
- A 1/2 cup of water
- A splash of ginger ale and lemon juice
- A cup of white sugar
- Stir thoroughly
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Cut oranges into wheels
Cut apples into slices and dump both into the pitcher and put it in the fridge to chill and then enjoy!
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Note:
If you're making the sangria for guests, be sure to make a batch and let it marinate for two or three days prior to serving.
Any sangria lovers out there?
How does my recipe sound?
How do you make yours?
Don't make your own? Well, shout out where you get your favorite Spanish libation.
Comments
Anyway, I have made sangria before (a white wine one) and I'm a bit taken aback by your semi-homemade recipe. LOL. I see you use ReaLemon but I'm shocked you don't use REAL LEMONS! Fix that. Also, I was shocked you use that cheap sangria wine as your base. Really? Really? I know it probably doesn't taste like sangria all by itself (without your help) but isn't adding all these ingredients supposedly redundant since you already have sangria? Just pick a red wine. LOL.
Cointreau is definitely a good choice. Your recipe might also be improved if you made a simple syrup (1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water heated and reduced) instead of just throwing in sugar.
Just my two cents. Please don't hate me.
Oh we know you're going DOWN when we do our sangria challenge. I taught you everything you know! *sigh* They grow up so fast. Smh.
Wait. I know someone who publicly admits to eating at The Olive Garden did NOT just come for my sangria recipe.
You're right. I could very well use real lemon juice. I'll give you that. But I don't like my drinks too acidic. I've got reflux issues, so the bottled lemon juice helps offset that.
As for my choice to use Carlos Rossi: I think it's a great base wine for sangria. If you've ever tasted it straight out of the bottle, you'll see that it really doesn't taste that great. So my adding ingrediants does actually change the taste completely. Sure, it's cheap but most sangria is made with cheap wine. And once you add the cost of the cointreau and Bacardi, having an expensive base wine will send the cost of this recipe through the roof. No need for that.
Oh and I can assure you: The peach sangria you love at The Olive Garden is NOT made with an expensive base wine. Trust me.
I've heard of simple syrups being used in sangria. That sounds like a great option. I'll have to try that one day.
Thanks for reading!
I use all of the same ingredients except,I substitute water for 3cups ice (better for taste testing), and do not add sugar.
In addition I also add:
a bottle of red zinfandel, 2cups peach brandy or schnapps (brandy is smoother but schnapps is ok2) 2cups vodka (in addition to the rum), and 2cups Cranberry Apple Juice and 2cup of OJ(pulp free). Fresh lemons, limes,apples (1red &1green I love color!), oranges, an if it's in the fridge blueberries,strawberries,or peaches. I do make this in a 3gallon container.
@teejay
There's nothing wrong with the Rossi!! I sometimes get the one that's even cheaper than that! It has red and purple wrapper with some sort of fruit on it think, and it's something that starts with a Y? But it's really good also.
And shout outs to:
Forno's of Spain in Newark NJ for making the best Sangria! They also make the best whole snapper, garlic shrimp, and lamb shanks!
Ceviche Restaurant, in Sarasota, Fl, also makes the second best sangria! They also have the best Capriana (Brazilian cocktail), and stewed oxtail tapas!!!
Lawd! Your recipe will have me laid out! LOL
Sounds good though!
I've always wanted to play around with adding OJ. And I also add fresh limes from time to time. I forgot to add that in the writeup.
I've been to Forno's before. I can't remember if I tried their sangria.
The best sangria I ever had was at a wedding reception in Puerto Rico. The Best!
Thanks for reading and let me know how the recipe turns out!
oh how i wish more people understood the joys and wonder of sangria. i may have to try this for a party or something coming up. sounds like a damn winner.
how do you feel about white wine sangria?
Yes! Try it and let me know what you think.
I caught some flack for not using fresh lemon juice. Eh. But I got acid reflux, so I can't have my 'gria TOO acidic.
White wine sangria is tricky. I've had some really bland glasses of it on occassion. I'm not totally against it, but my prefernce is red.
Why, you gotta good white wine recipe?
I had the pleasure of having two glasses of our favorite blogger's sangria and it was very good. I drank it like Kool-Aid. Since I'm more of a white wine person, I still am a bit partial to the Olive Garden's white peach sangria. I'm just sayin'.