Friday Night Cocktail Recipe: Sangria

Today, let’s think about starting the weekend with good company and a sangria.  The recipe below is a small variation on the traditional Spanish sangria.  It includes orange juice and a bit more rum.  A sangria with more types of fruits (apples, banana, peach, etc.) is often called “Sangria des Iles” (Sangria from the Islands) in France.   The sangria is named after the spanish word “sangre”, meaning blood which is the same color as the red wine used in sangria.  Enjoy in moderation!

Sangria

by Art of the Home

Ingredients

• 1 bottle red wine (any red wine would do, preferably a cheaper wine)
• 2 lemons or 1 lemon/1 lime
• 1 orange
• 1 small glass of spiced rum (about 3/4 cups)
• 4-8 TBSP of white sugar
• 1 cup of orange juice

Directions

1. Wash fruits
2. Slice fruits into thin slices cut in 1/2.
3. Place fruits in a large pitcher.
4. Pour in the wine, orange juice, and rum
5. Add sugar slowly and mix gently to melt the sugar.
6. Chill in refrigerator at least 1 hour.
7. When ready to serve, using a wooden spoon, slightly crush the fruits to add flavor.
8. Enjoy chilled.

To accompany the sangria, you may want to serve fried calamari as part of your appetizers selection.   And how about some amazing flamenco to get into the spirit?  The following video shows one of the greatest flamenco dancers, Carmen Amaya.  Enjoy!

Carmen Amaya (November 2, 1913 – November 19, 1963)