Active Time

　　10 minutes

　　Total Time

　　1 hour 10 minutes

　　Learning how to make sangria is a life skill that pays dividends. A classic red sangria recipe is crowd-pleasing partially because it’s so versatile. You can create seemingly infinite variations according to mood, season, and the contents of your home bar.

　　So, what is sangria, exactly? The large-format cocktail hails from Spain and Portugal. Traditional sangria ingredients include dry red wine, fresh fruit, a sweetener, and a modifier, such as orange liqueur or brandy, but the rubric is ripe for customization. Add sparkling water, club soda, or even ginger ale for a bubbly pour. Out of Cointreau? Swap in Grand Marnier—or, for a less boozy option, orange juice or another fruit juice like cranberry or apple cider. 

　　Fill your pitcher of sangria with sliced citrus or a handful of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, pomegranate seeds, or even cubed pear or watermelon. Let the mixture steep in the fridge for at least an hour (and up to 24) so that the fruit has time to permeate the drink. If you give it a taste and decide you want your sangria a little sweeter, a drizzle of simple syrup will do perfectly.

　　The best wine to use depends on your palate. Most red sangria recipes call for a Spanish red wine like Rioja, Tempranillo, or Garnacha, but you can substitute any dry, fruity variety you have on hand, such as Merlot, Zinfandel, or Gamay. Not a red wine fan? Use a white wine like Albariño or Pinot Grigio to make white sangria, or consider rosé sangria, or sparkling wine sangria using cava or prosecco.

Ingredients

　　2 750-ml bottles chilled dry red wine

　　1 cup brandy or cognac

　　½ cup Cointreau or another triple sec

　　⅓ cup superfine sugar, or to taste

　　1 orange, sliced thin

　　1 lemon, sliced thin

　　2 cups chilled seltzer or club soda

　　Combine 2 bottles chilled dry red wine, 1 cup brandy or cognac, ½ cup Cointreau, and ⅓ cup superfine sugar in a punch bowl or large pitcher. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 1 orange, sliced thin and 1 lemon, sliced thin and chill for 1 hour. Add seltzer and stir gently, then top with a block of ice or ice cubes.

　　Editor’s note: This cocktail recipe was first printed in the August 1983 issue of ‘Gourmet.’ Head this way for more of our favorite summer drinks →