Sangria… The drink of the Gods!

That’s what I felt when I first tasted this amazing drink. And indeed it was. Given how I discovered it, and all the memories attached with this drink.

I tasted Sangria, a wine cocktail couple of years ago during our (the husband and yours truly) short stay in Hong Kong. We used to eat out quite a bit back then, and it was a routine to walk up and down the SoHo in search of a good place. Well, not finding one was kinda tough given that SoHo had hundreds of restaurants , but we always were looking for some place which had a vegetarian menu slightly more than just a dish. It was during one of those searches that we saw Life Cafe, a restaurant which served only organic food with a slightly impressive vegetarian menu, and a great drinks menu. Only after we tasted our first sip of wine and took our first bite there did we wonder how the hell on earth did we miss that place when we had walked the same road atleast thrice a week! No, this is not about the restaurant, it was about the food there and the wonderful drink called Sangria we had discovered there.

It was served in a large pot with fruit pieces floating on it, and with a mild spice flavour so well blending into the drink that it was love at first sight err… sip for me, a non-oenophile. One sip and it felt like heaven for both of us. And that was when the husband resolved to find the recipe to this amazing drink. The rest of the weekends in HK were spent trying to recreate this drink with a various varieties of wine and fruit juice combinations, and by the time we left HK , I must say he got very good at his Sangria. It wasn’t like the one we tasted at first, but he for sure got closer to the spice mix and the fruit juice combination. I was a happy woman, and he, a proud man! :)

Once when we reached home in Hyderabad, Sangria was served to whoever visited us, all of them loving it , and demanding that the husband make a pitcher ready for them when they visited. It was his speciality drink, you see, something he reconstructed based on his taste buds. He wouldn’t let me into the kitchen when he would be assembling the drink, and for a long time I didn’t even know what the ingredients were. He called it, his secret recipe. Saturday evenings spent with friends relaxing in all corners of the living/dining room with a large pitcher of Sangria (and of course beer, for the guys!) on the dining table, with the lights dimmed and lots of laughter and conversation… those are some of the warm memories I carry every time I think of Sangria.

Sigh. That’s what the mention of Sangria does to me… taking me on a trip down the memory lane. Making of miss all those friends and sometimes those times too… However, I never tire of telling the story of my first tasting of Sangria, how I felt when I tasted it to anyone who talks about Sangria to me!

But then, that was another time and another age… things have changed, friends have moved on and we (again, the husband and I) have grown up, our partying styles (some friends even call it non-existent, which I guess is true too!) having changed too. He has almost given up alcohol and I am the designated driver for every outing we go on. The husband has not offered to make Sangria to anyone in a really long time, and Sangria (and all things alcohol) slipped off my mind too.

Enough with the nostalgia and cut to the present, the other day this friend mentioned that she had some chilled wine and that we should all have a sip each. Being off alcohol for a while, like a perfect gentleman, the husband got up and offered to make his special Sangria for the two of us, the ladies. Fruit juices were assembled, spice boxes were opened and he got on to work, to recreate that magic, which he indeed did!

Am not much of a wine drinker, you can even call me a wine-hater, but I have always loved this drink he makes. He doesn’t always use the same fruit juices, so the taste is always is a surprise. What he DOES is to mix the sugar and the spices in the right quantities always ensuring it gives the same warmth when it goes down your throat. You can pick any two fruit juices – Apple & Orange, Apple & Grape, Pomegranate & Grape, just ensure that one of them is sweet and the other one slightly tart, so as to balance the flavours.

So here it is… my husband’s special Sangria recipe. It certainly is not what a 5-star hotel bartender serves you, but I guarantee you good times and great friends… that’s what this Sangria has given me!

Sangria, S’s recipe
Serves – 3
Preparation time – 10 min, lasts much lesser :-)
Level – Very easy

Ingredients
Wine – 1 C, white or red, chilled
Fruit juices – 2 C or 400 ml [I recommend using a blend of two fruits]
Cinnamon – 1 stick, ground
Cloves – 6 – 8
Sugar – 1/4 C [Depends on the tartness in the fruit juices and wine]
Juice of one lemon
Ice cubes – a couple, if required

Instructions
In a large vessel, mix the fruit juices, lemon juice and sugar till the sugar dissolves.
Grind the cinnamon and clove together in a mortar , and pour this into the fruit juices.
Mix the wine and stir well.
Remove the cinnamon pieces if they are large, else let them be, it adds to the charm!
Top with ice-cubes and serve.