Citrus Rose Sangria

This citrus Sangria is a light-bodied, fruity and refreshing one made with freshly squeezed citrus and topped off with sparkling water! Not overly sweet and it gets its wonderful blush colour from the Rosé wine.

What is Sangria?

Sangria is a wine based punch cocktail. Traditional Spanish Sangria is produced from fine Spanish red wine and a blend of natural citrus fruit flavors.

What does sangria typically have in it?

Wine

Wine is a must as it is a wine cocktail, traditionally made with a dry red wine. The most popular wine used to make it is Garnacha from Spain. A good alternative is a nice Merlot if you are looking to go traditional. If not just use a red wine that you enjoy drinking. If you are going non-traditional, try a crisp white, a blush rosé or even some Prosecco.

Fruit

Sangria is loaded with sliced fruit. Citrus and apples and pears are very popular. Either diced or sliced. They add a nice sweetness and fruitiness to it. Freshly squeezed orange juice is also added for the same reason. Many variations exists from berry sangrias to pineapple ones and you can easily switch up the type of juice you would like to add to it according to the fruit you are using. It’s a fun cocktail to experiment with flavours. Many versions add sugar, simple syrup or honey to sweeten the sangria but I never add it as I don’t like sweet drinks. Feel free to add a sweetener if you like yours sweet. Doing so according to your taste.

Liquers

Many sangria versions fortify this wine cocktail using vermouth, or brandy. Rum based additions have become more popular or a blend of liqueurs. Because this is a citrus sangria I chose a blend of brandy and Cointreau which is a citrus based liqueur. Grand Marnier will also work which is a blend of brandy and bitter orange. I love to add a dash or orange bitters to mine as well. You can do rum or brandy alone and you can vary the type as well. That pineapple one I referred to earlier would be great with a coconut rum. A Fall apple and spice one would be wonderful with a spiced rum.

Crushed ice and sparkling water are often added - like I did to mine but not necessary. Most times a sangria is made the night before being served so that all the flavours of the fruit can infuse the wine. If you are making it ahead do not add the sparkling water and ice until serving.

This is a fabulous sangria for all year round - it’s perfectly refreshing for the summer but also at its best and sweetest when the winter citrus is at its peek. We are nearing the end of the season so I decided to enjoy all of its bounty. Hope you do too. Enjoy!

Recipe

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 bottle (750ml) rosé wine
• 3-4 cups of assorted citrus sliced - (lemons,limes, assorted oranges,pink lemons, kumquats, grapefruit)
• 1½ cups of freshly squeezed juice, orange or grapefruit juice or a combination of both
• ½ cup Brandy
• ¼ cup Cointreau
• 1-2 cans (355ml) of lime or lemon infused soda water
• Sweetener of choice (sugar, honey, simple syrup) optional for a sweet sangria.
• Ice to serve

Directions