Iowa Spring-Summer 2022 - 30

teria. So consider sangria the Gatorade of its day. By
adding alcohol and certain spices and filtering the
water through a cone-shaped cloth, the beverage
was purified and considered safe to drink. These
additives were also an effective means of improving
the taste, since the art of wine-making during the
classical era had not been perfected. Most of it tasted
awful.
The name sangria comes from the Spanish word
sangre, which is derived from sanguis in Latin; both
words mean blood, which refers to the dark red color
of the wine. By the 8th century, wine and therefore
sangria was all but dead in Iberia because the Islamic
Moors, who did not drink alcohol, conquered the
region and ruled for more than 700 years.
However, the popularity of sangria quickly
rebounded in the 15th century, and after another 200
years sangria was introduced to, and produced in,
both England and France. The Spanish first brought
the drink to the US at the 1964 World's Fair in New
York City. Sangria was served at the Spanish pavilion
and Americans fell in love with the drink right away.
From there, it spread throughout the world.
Today, European Union law dictates that all sangria
has to be produced in either Spain or Portugal,
and it must be equal to or less than 24 proof. But you
can make your own batch at home, and it's very easy.
There's no one genuine or " authentic " recipe, and
it's nearly impossible to mess up, so sangria is the
ideal DIY beverage. Making it at home is easy, fun,
delicious, and great for parties. Here are a few recipes
to try out for yourself:
Bubbly Sangria
(six-eight servings)
1 cup brandy
½ cup orange liqueur
¼ cup extra fine sugar
1 orange
1 pint raspberries
1 lime
1 lemon
1 bottle sparkling wine
Ice (optional)
 Chill the wine and
slice the citrus fruit. In a
large pitcher or bowl, mix
the brandy, liqueur and
sugar. Stir very well. Add
the fruit and sparkling
wine, stir once more, and
serve on its own or over
ice.
Classic Spanish Sangria
(four-six servings)
1 ½ cups rum
750 ml dry red wine
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
½ cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 cinnamon stick
 First, chill all the liquid ingredients, aside from
the rum. Slice the fruit into thin rounds and add
to a large pitcher. Pour in the rum and sugar. Chill
for 2 hours. Right before serving, take a wooden
spoon and lightly pound the fruit at the bottom
of the pitcher to bring out the flavors and aromas.
Add the liquid ingredients and stir well until all the
sugar has dissolved.
30 IOWA SPIRITS
Iowa Spring-Summer 2022

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