Sydney’s Sangría

To celebrate the release of my new novel, WHISPER PRIVILEGES, I’ve decided to share this recipe for Sangría.  Why?  Number one, Sangría makes for a great celebration tool and number two, it’s one of my character’s favorite drinks. 

 Miami is hosting the Special Olympics and Clay Rutledge’s son is competing in the games.  He’s a sure bet to win the gold—until an unexpected turn of events jeopardizes everything. Lured by Clay’s sexy confidence, event planner Sydney Flores is tempted to mix business with pleasure, but is he worth risking her job?  Read full blurb here.

It’s the assignment of a lifetime, only not the one she’s expecting.  Part romance, part women’s fiction, this book is a passionate chase and part of the fun? 

Yep.  Sangría.  And I have the perfect recipe for this Spanish punch, but let me forewarn you:  it’s potent stuff.  Delicious, but powerful, especially if you get a little liberal with the brandy.  You probably don’t want your husband coming home for lunch the day you whip up a batch, either.  I can hear it now…

Hubby walks in the door and spies you whisking fruit through a pitcher of Sangría and checks his watch.  “Everything okay?”

“Yes, honey, why would you ask?”  When his eyes drop to the pitcher, you realize the misunderstanding.   “I’m making Sangría for my blog.” 

He raises a wary brow.  “You have a garden blog.  I don’t see the connection.”

“Yes, but this is for my novel.”

He holds up a quick hand.  “Never mind.  Forget I asked.”

“What?”

But I know what—it  was the same reaction my daughter gave me when she discovered dumping a bottle of soda into a pitcher full of wine.  “Are you getting drunk?” the teeny-bopper asked in disbelief.

I laughed.  While I do like my wine, I don’t like it before 5:00pm.  After reassuring her I was okay, I returned to my concoction.  And this recipe is easy.  All you need is some leftover red wine (if you have that at your house), or maybe that wine gift you received from your non-wine-drinking friend.  Yes, you get the picture.  Any red wine will do.

Next up becomes a matter of preference.  For basic Sangría, you add fruit juice and whole fruit.  For mine, I use orange juice.  For added pizzazz, I like to add a splash of brandy, too.  One of my most memorable experiences with this drink was during a trip to Spain with my brother.  It was years ago, but memorable for so many reasons.  One of the most noted was his claim to a mastery of the language to which I replied, “Just because you live in Miami, doesn’t mean you speak Spanish.”

“Don’t worry (dude), I speak Spanish.  I’ll get us around.”

Or lost, forcing us to walk miles out of our way, our sole human sighting an elderly couple walking along the winding country road with a basket on their heads.  They didn’t speak his Spanish, either.

But I digress.  Once we arrived at our intended destination, the restaurant served a Sangría that was absolutely wonderful.  Ever since, I’ve compared Sangrías and come to realize that I prefer the brandy version.  And to sweeten the mix, many folks add sugar, but I use a can of ginger-ale soda, instead.  Bubbles make for a nice addition, too. 🙂

And that’s it.  Red wine, orange juice, soda and brandy.  Some of the variations I’ve seen include rum instead of brandy, club soda instead of ginger-ale.  Same goes for the chopped fruit.  I used orange and apple, but you can use lemon, limes, mango, peaches—you name it!  Let your taste buds be your guide.

Above all, enjoy.  Sangría is a sumptuous indulgence.  Check my recipe section for full details.

Visit my author website for a complete listing of my books.