The warm weather is here, summer is coming so you want to have your drinks repertoire ready. Sangria is easy to make and one could serve it immediately but I think it benefits from a little time melding flavours in a fridge for another or so.
Sangria’s origins come from Portugal and Spain and I had the pleasure to visit both of these countries last summer. What is sangria? Basically it’s a wine punch containing wine, something sweet like fruit and fruit juices and something boozy to balance out the alcohol.
This sangria has a Greek twist as I am using sour cherry juice (something we call Vissinada). This cherry juice traditionally was a product of making Vissino (sour cherry preserve and the syrup that was leftover would be kept in a bottle and mixed with cold water to make a refreshing summer drink.
This is a simple sangria and rather than use additional sugar or syrups, I am using ginger ale or Sprite (your choice) to add some sweetness and a little fizz to the party.
Sangria With Sour Cherry Vissino
(serves 4-6)
1 750ml bottle of red wine (something unoaked)
1 cup of Metaxa brandy or orange liqueur
1 1/2 cups sour cherry juice (vissinada)
1 cup orange juice
1 orange thinly sliced or 2 mandarins
one to two cans of ginger ale or Sprite
Garnish
fresh cherries with stems
- Into a pitcher, add all the ingredients except for the ginger ale/sprite and stir. Taste, adjust flavourings with above ingredients. Place in fridge for an hour.
- When ready to serve, add ginger ale or sprite (to taste), stir in. Add some ice cubes to a glass, a slice or two of mandarin and a couple of cherries and serve.
