Spanish Sangria

The streets of Triana at sunset, mi barrio :)

Hola mis amigos! 

Bienvenido a las calles de España, llena del humo y unos olores buenísimos. Esta noche, celebramos el aniversario de mi tiempo en Sevilla, 5 meses que me han cambiado la vida.

In celebration of our one-year anniversary of heading to Spain, I had a few friends over for traditional Spanish drinks and the quintessential tapa--la tortilla, similar to the Italian frittata more common here in the US. We'll make two separate posts, so be sure to visit each!

Sangria is typically thought of as a summer drink; however with winter's citrus at it's prime, it was the perfect way to fight the winter blues. IU was covered in a sheet of black ice, but the sangria thawed that right out of my memory. We had two versions, alcoholic and virgin. Both were good, though the non-alcoholic was significantly sweeter than the spiked (normal) version. Everyone seemed to love them!

Traditional Sangria

This was our typical drink on a casual night out with friends on the streets of Spain. Typically, Spaniards would have a glass of this or Cruz Campo, the local beer, with tapas between 4-7. Dinner was served at 10 or 11PM.

1 750 ml bottle of dry red wine (I have no idea what this means, so after a phone consultation with Mom, I used an unoaked cabernet sauvignon)
1 1/2 cups pulp-free OJ
1/2 cup Triple Sec

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 orange, sliced thin (8 circles)
2 lemons, sliced thin (16 circles, total)
2 limes, sliced thin (16 circles, total)

1 1/2 cups diet Sierra Mist

Out with friends, drinking Sangria in Sevilla

1. In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients except for the Sierra Mist. I put all of the fruit in first so that the  liquids would strain through them. Stir well to combine, and then place in the fridge overnight so that the flavors mingle (it's a party, right?). 
2. Prior to serving, add in the Sierra Mist. This will make it fizzy. 
3. Pour in glasses over ice and enjoy!

Virgin Sangria 
This is more like delicious, fizzy fruit punch. You could of course use extra Triple Sec, but I like it as is.

3 cups grape juice
1 cup pulp-free OJ
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 orange, sliced thin
1 lemon, sliced thin
1 lime, sliced thin
1 small apple, cored and sliced thin

1 1/2 cup diet Sierra Mist
1 cup Club Soda

1. Combine all ingredients except the Sierra Mist and club soda in a large pitcher. Again, I placed the fruit at the bottom so the juice would go through the slices. Stir well, and place in fridge overnight.
2. Prior to serving, add the Sierra Mist and club soda, mixing well.
3. Pour over ice and enjoy. Don't forget to spoon out the fruit slices - they're delicious, and the apples taste like Jolly Ranchers!