*Photos by Rebecca

Three Springs ago, I was living in Sevilla, Spain, a city that captures the pure essence of Spanish culture. (My flashback begins). Simple pleasures of life in a country where the inhanbitants “work to live, not live to work,” consisted of the siesta (which I still believe would do the American body and economy good), tapas (snack-like appetizers that deliciously prevent over-endulgence), flamenco, and…one of my personal favorites when it comes to refreshing beverages…sangria.  Sangria comes from the Spanish word “sangre”, which means blood, representing the deep velvet hue of the wine and fruit mixture served in every Spanish bar and cafe and that I believe is symbolic of the vibrant life in Spain. 

In the summer, there’s nothing like a glass of really fresh sangria to make me nostalgic of my previous life in Espana. Whether you’ve visited Spain or not, this recipe will definitely cool you down this summer, and bring you a little taste of Spanish culture! *Note: This is the recipe that is most like the sangria I found in Spain…not carbonated and full-bodied, and it’s so simple to make!

Ingredients

• 2 oranges
• 2 lemons
• 2 limes
• 2 green apples (try to pick some with a little bit of tartness–Granny Smiths work great)

  

• 2 bottles of red wine of your choice (Cabernet Savignon’s spiciness works well, or go for a Spanish wine like Rioja or Tempranillo).
• 1 small bottle of Brandy
• 1 cup of sugar

Instructions

1. Slice oranges, lemons, and limes to make thin round slices (leave the skins on so the flavors of the rinds add to the drink)
2. Cut the apples into 1/4 inch cubes
3. Save a few slices of each fruit (lemons, oranges, limes) to place on the rim of the glasses when you serve
4. Place fruit in a pitcher
5. Add wine until the pitcher is almost full
6. Add 1/2 cup brandy to the pitcher
7. Add 1 cup of sugar to the pitcher (don’t forget the sugar, or the mixture will be tart from the citrus)
8. Stir, cover, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (up to 24 or 48 hours-the longer, the tastier because the fruit flavors will be absorbed)
9. Serve in glasses over ice with fruit slices sitting on the rims of each glass
10. Enjoy!

*This is a Green Entertaining recipe–there is no baking or energy used to make it!

Summer refreshment Rebeccammendation for Entertaining at Home: Simple Summer Sangria!

Tapas Restaurant Rebeccammendation: If you want the full Spanish dining experience and don’t know how to make your own tapas (there will be a future post about this!), try Malaga Tapas & Bar at 440 W. 2nd Street.