It's the holidays and you know what that means...lots of parties, family gatherings, and fun in general! This winter sangria recipe is perfect for this time of year!
When we host just about anything, there are co*cktails involved. One of my favorites to make ahead of time is Sangria. It's a crowd-pleaser...I can make a ton of it in advance AND I can customize it to the season which is how this recipe for winter sangria was born.
A few days ago while shopping in my local Whole Foods Market in Jenkintown, PA I came across a gorgeous bin of Satsumas with their vibrant green leaves still attached. Satsumas are prized for their sweetness and juiciness and are low in acid. They typically yield more juice than other citrus fruits and are always seedless. They may be small however they are big in instructional value! An average Satsuma contains just 50 calories and provides more than the daily-recommended amount of Vitamin C, they are also high in calcium, fiber, thiamine, and folate. That's one heck of a fruit!
Right then & there I decided that satsumas would be a part of my Holiday Winter Sangria!
When it comes to fruit, it's great to buy organic when you can, however when you are making co*cktails with fruit, in my opinion, you always want organic...after all the fruits will be floating in & infusing your drinks right? SO whenever I am at Whole Foods Market, I feel good knowing I can see exactly where the fruit came from and that it is in fact organic.
Grocery shopping with your kids is like classroom time...they can take a look and see just where it is the food that will soon grace their tables (and their tummies) are coming from...I love that!
This winter Sangria is fabulous for Christmas parties and dinners. The color is festive and the available fruits in December are a perfect compliment!
I found a gorgeous tub of huge fresh cranberries as well as a big fat pomegranate while shopping.I knew some of each would end up in my Sangria as well!
As a matter of fact, I am gifting a few interestingly shaped jars of Winter Sangria over Christmas...It makes a great hostess or food gift! I bet a few people in your life would LOVE a jar of homemade Christmas Sangria vs a plate of cookies 😉
Winter Sangria Ingredients aka Christmas Sangria
1 bottle (750 ml) Red Wine (I like using Shiraz) ½ cup Satsuma juice (you can substitute clementine) ¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice ½ cup blackberry brandy ¼ cup Triple Sec 1 to 1 ½ cups Cranberry Simple Syrup (recipe follows) Satsuma (or clementine) wedges Lime wedges Pomegranate seeds Fresh Cranberries
For Cranberry Simple Syrup
1 cup fresh cranberries 1 cup water ¾ cup sugar ½ TBS fresh lime juice
In a large pitcher or pot, combine wine, citrus juices, brandy, triple sec and 1 cup of the Cranberry Simple Syrup. Stir, taste. Decide your preference for sweetness and either add the other ½ cup of Cranberry Simple Syrup or save it for another use. Add in the fruit (remember if possible organic is best when having fruit floating in your drink). Allow it to sit in your cold garage or fridge for at least 1 hour up to 36 hours and serve. You can store it in the fridge (sealed) without fruit for a week. When serving always serve this over ice... the more ice the better!
If giving this as a gift, do not add fruit until right before gifting OR package fruit on the side (keep citrus whole).
To make Cranberry Simple Syrup for Winter Sangria
In a small pot, combine cranberries, water and sugar. Heat until the mixture begins to boil then reduce to a simmer.
Continue simmering until cranberries have burst (about 3-4 minutes more).
Remove from heat and carefully use a potato masher or a muddler to mash the cranberries, which will maximize the infusion. Allow this mixture to cool.
Strain the syrup (using a mesh strainer) into a bowl. Be sure to press firmly down on the cranberries to get every bit of syrup. You will need to scrape the cranberry pulp off of the strainer and discard to continue, or the strainer will become clogged.
Once the syrup is completely cool, transfer it into a mason jar or glass container and store in your fridge until ready to use. This keeps well for a week in your refrigerator.
Colleen's Notes: You can add some club soda, Sprite, or other citrus soda to this if you choose for a bit of fizz as well as to stretch it for a party - your call...just place a small amount in a glass over ice add some soda in and taste to see if you would enjoy it that way.
Looking for additional holiday season (& beyond) co*cktail ideas?
Perfect Pomegranate Mojitos Homemade Chocolate Liquor (a great food gift!) The oh-so popular Apple Pie Moonshine (another great food gift!) Philadelphia Fish House Punch (a New Years Eve staple, one filled with history & a PUNCH!)
Winter Sangria with Apple, Pear, Orange and Lime tastes like the holidays. It is refreshing but at the same time has warm flavors that pair perfectly with the cold weather. Different garnishes can make serving this drink truly festive and it's something a bit different for your friends and family.
By chilling the sangria, you give the fresh fruits a chance to infuse the wine with sweet, fresh flavor. If you cut this time short, your sangria won't taste as fruity or as balanced. I let mine chill for at least 8 hours before serving, or overnight for the best flavor.
"When choosing a brandy, it is best to go toward a Spanish one made with Spanish grapes," said Trujillo. "I find Carlos I Solera Gran Reserva Brandy to be perfect for sangria." This brandy was aged in American oak casks and has notes of vanilla and caramel.
Freezing and thawing softens the fruit—water expands when frozen, rupturing the fruit's cellular walls—making maceration and flavor-melding that much easier. Plus, frozen fruit is very cold, which helps make your sangria very cold, which is (obviously) what you want in a summer beverage.
Sangria, wine mixed with fruit, has always been legal and available. The issue comes about when Sangria is mixed with brandy or other spirits that raises the alcohol content of the drink. Alcohol-boosted Sangria was illegal because of a 1934 law formed post-prohibition to keep the percentage of alcohol low in drinks.
The best wine for sangria is Garnacha (also called Grenache) or Pinot Noir. Garnacha comes from Spain, so it's my top pick for authentic Spanish sangria! Choose an inexpensive wine (under $20) that you would enjoy on its own. Why Garnacha and Pinot Noir?
A good ratio is 1 cup of water, 3 teaspoons glycerin, and 3 teaspoons glitter. Glycerin can be substituted for olive oil, vegetable oil, or baby oil. Adding more oil will make the glitter fall slower. Tighten the lid on jar and glue shut.
Make sure not to use fleshy fruits like custard apple or banana in your sangria, as these will make your sangria cloudy. Instead, focus on citric fruits like strawberries, cherries, apples and pears that will add zing and texture to your sangria.
Add apples, oranges, and sugar to a large pitcher and muddle with a muddler or wooden spoon for 45 seconds. Add orange juice and brandy and muddle again to combine for 30 seconds. Add red wine and stir to incorporate, then taste and adjust flavor as needed.
Since we are adding a lot of other sweet components to this drink we like to keep the white wine dry and high in acidity. Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo or a dry Riesling would all work great here.
If you ask bartenders here in Spain how to make sangria, they will be the first to tell you that — technically — there is no standard way to make sangria. It's really just a wine punch made with seasonal fruit, sweetener, a good splash of brandy, and possibly something fizzy added in.
Sweetness Level - Typically Sangria is off-dry, although if you have a sweet tooth feel free to go a little heavier on the simple syrup. Acidity Level - There's lots of sharp red wine and beautiful fruit in Sangria, giving it a really zingy refreshing acidity.
Spain - Spain - "Real Sangria is a light- bodied, fruity and refreshing "Spanish Sangria" produced from fine Spanish red wine and a blend of natural citrus fruit flavors. It is mostly made from the Tempranillo and Garnacha grape varieties..."
Sangria is as sweet as you make it. As a general rule, it's going to be fruity, so start with a dry red wine to keep that sugar content down. Pick fruits that lean more tart than sweet (like Granny Smith apples rather than white peaches), add more acidic juice like lemonade, or simply don't add sugar to your mixture.
Light, bright and slightly spritzy it's the perfect aperitif, low fuss co*cktail and just plain good fun in a bottle. Made with premium Australian wine and infused with fruits it's much drier than your typical sangria which is normally cut with fruit juice or soft drink so better for your waist line too!
Introduction: My name is Tish Haag, I am a excited, delightful, curious, beautiful, agreeable, enchanting, fancy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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