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Stuck with crappy wine? Make sangria.
With guests coming over and the liquor cabinet mostly bare, we picked up some cheap brandy and triple sec at the PLCB store to try and salvage the plonk by making sangria.
Stuck with crappy wine? Make sangria.
There are few things more disappointing than buying wine and hating it. I suppose it serves me right for being taken in by nice packaging, but I was searching for a palatable boxed red wine — something to keep in the fridge for cooking, and for the occasional glass with dinner — and ended up with a 3-liter box of this stuff, which was nigh-on undrinkable. With guests coming over and the liquor cabinet mostly bare, we picked up some cheap brandy and triple sec at the PLCB store to try and salvage the plonk by making sangria.
This recipe is modified from a giant batch recipe shared with me by Stephen Seibert, the hotshot Village Whiskey bartender who put in some time at Amada. The principles are simple — take dry wine, add brandy for proof and heat; triple sec and lemon juice for acid; and simple syrup for sweetness. A crappy sweet wine will take less syrup and more acid, so taste and adjust accordingly. Since sangria is typically made for a crowd and poured out by the pitcher, this recipe is based on a 1.5-liter magnum-size bottle of vino. Double it to make a 3-liter boxed-wine batch. You can use any fruit you like, or leave it out entirely.
Vary the basic recipe by adding fresh-squeezed OJ, peach nectar or other juices, or by infusing the simple syrup with herbs or spices. Just be sure to scale back on the syrup to keep things in balance.
Make sangria a few hours ahead of time and keep it chilled until serving. Pour over ice cubes and top with club soda to lighten it up. Or not. Either way.
Basic Sangria
Go Get This:
1.5L magnum of wine
2-4 cups cheap brandy, to taste
2-3 cups triple sec, to taste
1-2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice, to taste
1/2 to 1 cup simple syrup, to taste (equal parts near-boiling water and sugar)
Pear and apple, brunoised (small dice)
Strawberries, halved
Blueberries, whole
Oranges, sliced in rounds
Club soda
Now Do This:
Pour the wine into a giant pitcher or jar, or work in batches in a smaller jug. Add the minimum amounts of brandy, triple sec, lemon juice and simple syrup and taste. Adjust as you like it. Stir in washed/sliced fruit and refrigerate until service.To serve, pour over ice cubes and top with club soda, if desired.
Photos: Drew Lazor
Brandy/Triple Sec/Simple Syrup are def key. I make this all of the time and my friends love it! I usually add a cinnamon stick to boil in the simple syrup as well which gives it a little something extra. Good share!— nicolerossi62- The worst box wine I ever bought was the Fish Eye shiraz. The box was on sale for $10-I should have known better, but my boozy self was too mesmerized by the price. I threw it out after 2 glasses, I never thought to make sangria!— JulieC
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