Ooo la la this sangria is fire!
I’m not normally a fan of sugary drinks but this sangria is subtly sweet, plus it packs a punch, thanks to a generous glug of brandy.
And not just any brandy.
Pear brandy, to be exact!
To go with our fall/winter vibes, you know?
Sliced crisp apple, juicy Bartlett, and juicer navel orange add that fresh fruity flair, while a zesty spiced simple syrup composed of cinnamon, star anise, lemon peel, and coconut sugar bring the well-balanced sweetness factor.
And then we have our wine, a Spanish red of the Tempranillo or Garnacha varieties.
Do I know what that means?
Not really, ha.
So enjoy this little tidbit I retrieved from a quick Google search:
“While Garnacha is highly alcoholic with tasting notes of spice, Tempranillo is medium-bodied with red fruit flavor. When blended together they balance each other out to make the Spanish favorite, Rioja. Tempranillo wine is also used in popular Port blends in Portugal.”
Interestingg.
For this particular batch of bev I picked up a couple bottles of affordable Tempranillo from Trader Joe’s (no need to spend a hefty sum since we’re mixing in other flavors), which was indeed a lighter red with some fruity notes—the label featured a plump floating pig, for reference.
Anyways, let all of that fun stuff meld away in the fridge for a handful of hours then pour her up!
I made two pitchers for a little office holiday party and it vanished.
Sooo I’m not the only one who enjoys this recipe.
Or maybe my coworkers and their plus ones just needed some social lubrication, ha.
Ew, let’s not say that again.
Cheers!
P.S. It is very important to taste the sangria and adjust the ingredient amounts to make your buds happy as can be!
P.P.S. Don’t throw away that boozy fruit! You might actually enjoy it, for snacking purposes…
P.P.P.S. I was introduced to this recipe by Marianna during her vegetarian paella cooking class! She also can decorate a mean cake.
P.P.P.P.S. The natural lighting was perfect… but as I whipped out my camera to shoot the sun broke through the clouds full force, which usually I’m ecstatic about, but boy she was intent on blinding my little sangrias. Sigh. It’s my fault for not knowing how to use my camera properly oooops.
Sangria with Pear Brandy & Spiced Simple Syrup
Ingredients
Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole star anise
- 2-inch strip fresh lemon peel
Fruit
- 1 medium navel orange, sliced thin
- 1 medium apple (I used Honeycrisp), sliced thin
- 1 medium pear (I used Bartlett), sliced thin
Alcohol
- 1 bottle Spanish red wine (Tempranillo or Garnacha)
- 1/4 cup pear brandy
Instructions
- Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon, star anise, and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a low boil and simmer for two minutes, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve. Remove from heat, cover, and allow the mixture to infuse for 30 minutes.
- Place the sliced fruit in a large glass pitcher.
- Pour the wine and brandy over the fruit.
- Add the simple syrup to taste, starting with a small amount. Stir, sample, then add more syrup if you'd like a sweeter sangria.
- Cover the pitcher and allow the flavors to meld for six hours in the refrigerator. Serve chilled.