How to Make Authentic Restaurant Style Sangria (Pitcher)

Sangria is a great drink to serve at large parties and festive gatherings.

Many restaurants feature sangria, a wine punch, because it's a traditional party drink. Although its lineage is believed to have started in Spain, it is embraced by many cultures around the world. According to Cheryl Charming, author of "Ms. Charming's Guide to Hip Bartenders and Wayout Wannabees," the 1694 commander of the British Mediterranean fleet threw a party featuring a water fountain flowing with more than 600 gallons of sangria for his guests. As a result of its wide popularity, several restaurants feature both red and white sangria for patrons to enjoy along with their meals.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Glass Pitcher
• (Red Sangria)
• 2 cups seasonal fruit
• 2 cups maraschino cherries
• 2 bottles red wine
• 2 oz. blackberry brandy
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup cherry juice
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• (White Sangria)
• 3 oranges
• 3 apples
• 3 cups cherries
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 cinnamon sticks
• cooking pot
• 2 bottles white wine
• 1 cup sparkling water
• 1 cup white cranberry juice
• 1 cup apple juice

Instructions

1. Chop up fruit with knife. For red sangria, cut up 2 cups of any seasonal fruit (such as pears, pineapples or peaches) you prefer. For white sangria, slice up three oranges and three apples.

2. Place all of the fruit, including cherries, in a bowl.

3. Top the bowl with a protective cover or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

4. Prepare the sangria. For red sangria, combine two bottles of red wine and blackberry brandy along with the orange, cherry and pineapple juices in a glass pitcher. For white sangria, place water, sugar and cinnamon sticks in a pot and cook to a simmer, for five minutes. Remove from heat. Combine the water mixture, minus the cinnamon sticks, in a glass pitcher along with the white wine, sparkling water and white cranberry and apple juices.

5. Cover pitcher with plastic wrap, to avoid contamination or spillage.

6. Place sangria in refrigerator overnight.

7. Remove the chilled sangria and add the fruit from bowl.

8. Serve the prepared sangria in large wine glasses.

Tips & Warnings

• For more carbonation or bubbles in your sangria, add club soda or ginger ale.

• Chill the wine bottles and pitcher beforehand, if you need to serve the sangria immediately.

References

• "Ms. Charming's Guide to Hip Bartenders and Wayout Wannabees"; Cheryl Charming; 2007