White Sangria

On Friday, mom and I enjoyed dinner at Ole Tapas.  I love international cuisine and I studied abroad in Spain 10 years ago, so when I heard that Ole won "Best New Restaurant" in Delaware Today, I knew I had to go.  I'll write more about Ole another day, but I will share one bit of the experience.  The food was excellent.  The drinks were disappointing.  I enjoyed authentic Spanish sangria during my trip to Spain, but I feel that the $7 I spent for a weak 6 oz. drink full of ice was just not working for me.  When I came home I decided to make a batch of my sangria.

I have a popular red sangria recipe, but I was inspired to try a white variety after tasting my friend Karen's wonderful sangria that she so generously brings to my home every time we have a party.  My version of white sangria is very citrusy and a bit tart.  If you prefer a sweeter variety, you could add 1/2 c. sugar or top the drink with Sprite before serving.  I like mine straight up over ice.

White Sangria

1 bottle dry white wine (not chardonnay, try riesling, pinot dris, or chablis)
1/3 c. brandy
1/3 c. triple sec
1/3 c. orange juice
8 oz. (1 c.) pineapple juice
1/4 c. frozen lemonade concentrate
2 citrus fruits, cut into rounds (lemon, lime, orange)
maraschino cherries (for serving)
1.  Mix all ingredients (except maraschino cherries) in a 2 quart pitcher.  Place in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
2.  Serve over ice topped with maraschino cherries and citrus fruit for garnish.

A few tips on the recipe:

I purchase pineapple juice in 8 oz. cans (normally sold in packs of 8).  It costs a bit more than the large cans, but I don't normally drink pineapple juice and I hate having to store excess juice in my fridge.  With the small cans I always know that I have pineapple juice on hand for mixed drinks.

This recipe calls for a small quantity of frozen lemonade concentrate.  I store the remaining concentrate in a small, resealable container in the freezer.  It never freezes hard, so I just scoop it out as I need it for future batches of sangria.

This recipe gets better as it sits.  Please let it sit for at least 24 hours before serving.

This is a strong drink.  It goes down like citrus punch, but if you're not careful, it could take you out.