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Anyone who enjoys sweet alcoholic drinks knows that sangria is the life of any party. Delicious fruit, sweetened booze, and a beautiful color make it the perfect grown-up alternative to punch. And while it’s pretty hard to mess up sangria, there are definitely some ways to make a fantastic sangria recipe. We’re going to show you how to make the only sangria recipe that you’ll ever need and give you some tips for developing your own twists on this classic staple.
A Few Quick Tips Before We Begin
While many people just use wine in their sangria, adding other types of sweet liquors can really boost the flavor. Try adding in things like brandy and triple sec, in addition to your red wine base.
Always use the freshest fruit you can get for sangria. The flavor will be at its peak, and you don’t have to worry about any bitterness from under-ripe fruit, or mushy overripe fruit.
Keep in mind that you have to chill sangria for a few hours before you serve it, in order to let the fruit flavors really infuse into the booze. Making it the night before a party and letting it chill overnight can create a much deeper flavor.
Don’t be afraid to boost the sweetness with a competing flavor note! We’ll be doing that in this recipe with a bit of heat from jalapeno peppers and hot sauce, so stay tuned.
The Ingredients
Ready to get started? First, you need to gather your ingredients. This recipe will make about six servings, so feel free to double or triple it for a larger crowd. It only takes 10 minutes to prepare but be sure to give it at least three hours to chill and infuse before serving.
This recipe starts off with a classic sweet sangria taste but gets its unique twist from a spicy kick, as well as deeper flavor from more fruit variety. Let’s get started:
Don’t forget the club soda for mixing when you serve! Don’t worry about spending more than $10 to $15 on the bottle of Malbec – the flavor will be changed by all the other ingredients anyway.
Make the Sangria
Start by combining all of the liquor into a pitcher. Next, you’ll need to add the fruit. Don’t chop or slice the fruit too small, because it will disintegrate and create a weird pulp in your drink. Large slices or pieces will do fine.
Citrus fruits are a must for sangria. They give it the bright, punch-like flavor that makes this drink so popular. We went with lemons, limes, and oranges for this recipe, which is a classic sangria combination – but if you only have two of the three on hand, that is okay. Don’t forget to set aside a few slices for garnishing the cups!
The plums are a unique addition to this recipe, and they really do a lot to add depth and interest to the flavor. If you can’t find fresh plums when you are making this recipe, you can try many other fruits. Mango, grapefruit, cherries, peaches, and apricots, would all be great options for making your sangria stand out.
Now that you’ve added the fruit, you have the basic sangria ready to go. You could throw the pitcher into the fridge and have an excellent beverage. But to really amp ours up, we’ve got two more things to add: the peppers, and the hot sauce
It is very important that you remove all of the seeds from the pepper before you dice them for this drink. The seeds carry a lot of heat, and you don’t want anyone biting into a little spice bomb when enjoying their tasty sangria. Don’t forget to leave a few slices intact for garnishing!
For the sauce, you can use any kind of hot sauce you like. Try Tabasco, Cholula, or your favorite. Go for something that isn’t flavored with other notes (for example, Sriracha has a lot of garlic in it – that might not be so great in your sangria!). You can measure out the hot sauce if you like, or just give the pitcher a few good dashes.
Now mix it all up together with a long spoon and put the pitcher in the fridge to chill. The longer you let it chill, the more vibrant the flavors will be. If you prefer a mild, subtle sangria, be sure to take it out after three hours. If you like your sangria a bit dark and full-bodied, let it set overnight.
How to Serve Sangria
The best way to serve this sangria is over ice, with a bit of club soda to help smooth out all the flavors. This is a bold drink, and despite having a very sweet, delicious flavor, it still needs a little mixing medium to make it the best drink you’ve ever had. Additionally, the light fizz from the club soda will definitely make you feel as though you are drinking party punch!
Garnish the glass with orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices, and even a little slice of jalapeño if you want. If the drink isn’t quite sweet enough for you, you can also add a small drizzle of agave nectar or even honey to each individual glass.
We promise, no one will be able to pick out that you’ve put hot sauce in a sweet drink – but they’ll love the impact it brings to the glass! Try this one out for yourself and see for yourself how perfectly this recipe goes with any celebration.
