ShoppingFruity and light, Sangria seems like such a summery, warm weather drink. But with a few
Photo by kathryn_rotondo
tweaks, it’s easy to incorporate the warming spices and in-season citrus fruits to make a seasonal winter sangria.
All good sangrias start with a simple syrup. Which really is simple to make: just take equal parts sugar and water and bring to a quick boil in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and let cool. You now have the base for any number of cocktails. You can also use it to sweeten iced tea and lemonade. Or sangria. To make a base for a winter sangria you can add some winter spices or fruits during the cooking — consider cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, whole peppercorns, orange peels or cranberries. Add the ingredients while the syrup is cooking and then strain the solids out. But if you are using cranberries, keep them to add to the finished sangria.
For the sangria itself, pour one bottle of the red wine of your choice into a pitcher or punch bowl. Add a splash of triple sec or Grand Marnier, 3 teaspoons of simple syrup, and top it all off with one liter of club soda. Use whatever fruit you prefer — try slices of tangerines, blood oranges, chunks of apples and pears, cranberries or pomegranate seeds. Chill well and serve.
What type of red do you think would work best for this?
Any sort of fruity red works here. A cabernet, shiraz or merlot. You want to use a bottle of wine that is nice enough to drink on it’s own, but nothing too expensive or complex since the additions are the focus here. It’s also a great way to use a wine that you don’t completely love on its own!