Grablewski Alexandra - 101 sangrias & pitcher drinks

Special thanks to my mother-in-law, Jeannette, who gave me many of the Haasarud family recipes. The publisher thanks Monin for supplying their syrups for the photography. Visit www.moninstore.com for more information. Thanks also to thank Fabrica Home Furnishings & Upholsery LLC, 619 Vanderbilt Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238, 718-398-3831 for the plates on pages 13, 33, 59, and 92. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Copyright 2008 by Kim Haasarud.

All rights reserved Photography copyright 2008 by Alexandra Grablewski Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008. Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials.

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For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Book design by Elizabeth Van Itallie Food styling by Mindy Fox Prop styling by Leslie Siegel Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Haasarud, Kim. 101 sangrias & pitcher drinks / Kim Haasarud ; Photography by Alexandra Grablewski. p. cm. Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-470-16941-4 (cloth) 1. Cocktails. I. Title. II. Title: One hundred and one sangrias and pitcher drinks.

TX951.H213 2008 641.874--dc22 Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Introduction Warm Mediterranean breezes, clear azure waters, the blood red color of wine-based libations or spirits and juices mixed with fresh fruit... what could be better? Welcome to the wonderful world of sangrias and punches, those festive drinks for good times with great friends. Sangria is a party-bowl concoction originally from Portugal and Spain that mixes wine, fresh fruits, and often a spirit (brandy, Grand Marnier, triple sec, vodka, rum, etc.). Red wine is the standard, but white wine and champagne can mix up a mean sangria blanco . The wine should be inexpensive. This is not the time for the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild; off-the-rack reds and whites will do just fine.

And those in-the-bottle premixed sangrias? Heresy. The whole point of sangria is to find fresh fruits that blend happily and heartily with the moods of a warm outdoors. They can include any fruit that strikes ones fancy: mango, peach, grape, blackberry, raspberry, pineapple, peach, or kiwi, to name a few. This is a drink that demands fresh ingredients. But other than that, dont worry about the right way to make sangria. Its truly up to you.

This is an opportunity to experiment and create your own signature sangria. Like sangrias, punches can be made in large batches, from blends of five or more ingredients that include spirits, juices, and fresh fruit. Classic punches like the . Great fun, each and every one. My aim with the book is to give you a few communal drink ideas to get your creativity flowing and your guests geared up in happy anticipation. So go get some wine, hit the local produce market, grab a few spirits and ice, and have at it.

Enjoy! What Types of Wine to Use Red sangria is typically made with a Spanish wine like rioja. Its heartiness helps capture and hold onto the flavor of all of the various fruits. But almost any type of wine can be used. Hearty, earthy wines like Syrah, Chianti, and Sangiovese will also hold up to lots of fruits and flavors. For white sangria, I recommend a dry white like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. I do not recommend using an expensive wine for sangria, because the subtleties that make a great, expensive wine so special in the first place will be lost amongst all the other flavors.

There are plenty of great inexpensive wines to choose from. How to Cheat There are some ways to cheat when making a sangria. Ideally, a sangria should infuse overnight. This allows the ingredients to mingle with one another and for the fruits to impart their flavors. However, not everyone has overnight to wait, or even a few hours. And with fruits and berries that have tougher skin and flesh, like blueberries and apples, infusing takes quite a bit more time than with softer fruits like raspberries and peaches.

One trick is to slightly mash the fruits before mixing. This will release some of the juices into the sangria. But be careful not to mash them fully, or youll have a mushy mess, which may not be that pretty. Another trick is to saut the fruits over low heat in a small amount of simple syrup. This softens the skin and starts what I like to call the fruit bleed. Once the fruit and berries start to soften and bleed into the simple syrup, take it off the heat, add it to the sangria mix, and stir.

Getting More Out of Your Fruit Part of the beauty of a sangria is how enticing it looks. When cutting up the fruit, do it in ways that will make it visually appealing. Instead of cutting everything in quarters, vary the shapes and sizes. For example, cut your citrus fruitsgrapefruit, lemons, limes, orangesinto wheels or half-wheels. Cut other fruits apricots, peaches, apples, etc.into cubes. Cut pineapples into stars, melons into balls, etc.

Simple Syrup Simple syrup is an ingredient used often in Sangria recipes. It is a mixture of sugar to water in equal parts. Make some in advance; it can be stored in your refrigerator for weeks. 1 cup sugar 1 cup hot water In a small bowl, glass, or empty, clean wine bottle, combine the sugar with the hot water and stir, or shake bottle, until completely dissolved. Let cool completely before using. Fresh Sour This recipe is used as a sweet-and-sour element in many sangria recipes.

Squeeze the fruit juice immediately before using for optimum freshness. 14 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approximately 2 medium limes) 14 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 112 lemons) 12 cup In a small bowl, glass, or empty, clean wine bottle, combine all the ingredients. Stir, or shake bottle, cover, and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes 1 cup (or 8 ounces) Fruit Cubes In addition to the , you can make other types of flavored ice cubes to enhance your sangrias and pitcher drinks. As the flavored ice melts, it gives the drink more flavor. Wild Berry Cubes 34 cup cut-up fresh seasonal berries (e.g., blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) 112 cups lemonade Start with an empty 12-cube ice-cube tray and evenly distribute the fruit pieces in the cavities.