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The fam and I went to San Francisco this summer to show the kids around and do some shopping. Saturday afternoon, they let me choose our happy hour spot, and I chose one of my old haunts called “Cha Cha Cha” in the upper Haight. They’re known for their amazeballs Sangria and wonderful tapas.
Until that weekend, I hadn’t had Sangria for several months, but that afternoon reminded me how much I love it. But by the time I started creating a new recipe, it was Autumn and then it was the holidays. I wanted something that would both satisfy my Sangria craving while still honoring the flavors of the season–and this recipe was born!
Now, I’ve had a couple of Spiced Sangria recipes that have a multi-spice simple syrup in them to get the mulling flavor in there. Shocker: I don’t like them. I never dreamed I’d think something was too sweet and too spicy. This one, instead, has less sugar, and a cold-steeped spice that is more subtle and simply rounds out the flavor.
When Russ and I made this, we used a wonderful Brandy from Crystal Basin Cellars. The flavor was wonderful. Brandy is a new spirit for them, so if you have a chance to get out there, you should absolutely try it. Their wines are wonderful as well, but I always love tasting the “other” spirits that these smaller El Dorado wineries are starting to release.
Turns out, this is also awesome for anyone who belongs to a great wine club like NakedWines.com. Though I’ve enjoyed almost every wine I’ve ordered from them (and the fact that I can choose those wines instead of getting random shipments is great), it’s still nice to have a great recipe to use any semi-un-favorite bottles you might have left over. You can use red wine that might have been opened a couple days or which you opened and didn’t love. The extra ingredients temper the flavors of the wine just enough to make anything taste awesome. (As an aside, you could also use Carlo Rossi Burgundy if you want to go cheap and old school.)
***In case you’d like to start a new membership with NakedWines.com, click the above link to get $100 off!!!
So here’s to colder nights, shorter days, and firelit snuggling!
Happy Cooking!
- 1 Bottle Red Wine (Choose smooth or bold depending on your preference)
- 1 Apple, Chopped
- 1 Lemon, Sliced
- 1 Orange, Sliced
- ½ Cup Spiced Rum (such as Captain's)
- ½ Cup Brandy
- ¼ Cup Honey Simple Syrup
- ¼ Cup Mulling Spices
- Mix all ingredients in a pitcher.
- Cover and steep for an hour or two for the best results. (You can drink it within 20-30 minutes. It just won't taste as spicy.)
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