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!)
Served ice cold, but warm with spice, lightly fruity with a good hint of citrus and not too sweet. Its makes a great change to mulled wine for when you have friends over during the holidays, as you can mix up a few jugs in the morning and your good to go when they arrive. Be warned it's very Moorish!
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.
Sangria is best served chilled, so store it in the refrigerator in the serving container while the ingredients are soaking. Alternatively, you can serve it on the rocks by filling glasses with ice before pouring in the sangria.
Trader Joe's Sparkling Winter Sangria Water is a delightful fizz—sweet yet slightly tart. Natural flavors, reminiscent of a citrusy sangria, are combined with bubbly, sparkling water to create a delicately fruity, fizzy drink.
When it's time to serve, pop a few slices of the frozen fruits into each glass, pour your sangria over it, and savor each sip. The frozen fruit will keep your drink icy cold, won't dilute your drink, and you'll have some bonus wine-soaked fruits to enjoy after you've drained your glass!
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.
A traditional Spanish red wine with plenty of backbone and a hint of spice (like Garnacha, Tempranillo, or a Rioja blend) will always lead you to a supremely balanced glass of red sangria.
Red wine is a type of wine made from dark-colored grape varieties. The color of the wine can range from intense violet, typical of young wines, through to brick red for mature wines and brown for older red wines.
Any juicy fruits (such as citrus, berries, grapes, pineapple, mango, kiwi, etc.) would be delicious. Add fresh ginger: If you would like to give your sangria a bit of a kick, muddle in a few slices of fresh ginger.
"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.
When it comes to choosing the white wine for your sangria your best bets are dryer, more acidic, and crisp fresh whites like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino, or Grenache Blanc. An Albariño, Moscato, or rosé would be nice too. But also, we live by the rule, pour what Paso Robles wine you like!
Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight. The sangria gets softer, sweeter, and much more delicious overnight in the fridge. Top with sparkling water. When ready to serve, top off the sangria with sparkling water.
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.
Traditionally sangria may be mixed with local fruits such as peaches, nectarines, berries, apples, pears, or global fruits such as pineapple or lime, and sweetened with sugar and orange juice. Spanish Rioja red wine is traditionally used.
While sangria is nothing more than a lightly sweetened wine-based punch typically consumed during the summer in Portugal and Spain, the garbage you're going to be served in the average Mexican-American restaurant is syrupy and spiced beyond belief in an attempt to cover up the rank of cheap red wine.
Nueva Sangria is a new Aussie twist on a Spanish classic. Premium grapes, sourced from the best Australian Vineyards, infused with citrus, apples and berries and bottled with a slight spritz.
Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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