Summer is the time for cold drinks on a hot day, cocktails on the deck and iced tea on the porch. It’s the time for having friends over in a bare-feet-and-cutoffs, backyard-barbecue, kids-under-the-sprinkler kind of atmosphere. And the perfect way to combine cold drinks with friends is to mix up a batch of sangria. That’s the chilled fruit-and-wine punch from Spain and Portugal.

A new book called “101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks” by Kim Haasarud (Wiley, 2008) says that sangria (which was typically made with red wine and comes from the Spanish word for “blood”) was predated by a port-and-brandy concoction called “sangaree.” Other sources say sangaree is the Caribbean equivalent of sangria but did not predate it. The excellent “La Cocina de Mama” by Penelope Casas (Broadway Books, 2005) takes the research a little further. According to Casas, King Charles of Spain resembled his English contemporary, Henry VIII, in his love of lavish feasts. King Charles’ banquets often ended with sumptuous desserts accompanied by a spiced wine called “Hipocras.” This drink later became known throughout Spain as “garrapinado” and was, says Casas “most likely the refreshing precursor of sangria.”

Anya von Bremzen, author of “The New Spanish Table” (Workman, 2005), indicates that some “snooty Spaniards” dismiss sangria as a “tourist drink.” Let them be snooty. Here are recipes from Haasarud, Casas and von Bremzen that would please the most sophisticated palate. Recipes for sangaree and hipocras have been included for those with a mind for research. Who said history is “dry”?

Tips for making sangria, from Haasarud’s book:

— When making red-wine sangria, the traditional red wine is a Spanish rioja. You can also use a Syrah, Chianti or Sangiovese. When making white-wine sangria, use a dry white like a pinot grigio or a sauvignon blanc. In either case, there is no need to use an expensive wine. “The subtleties that make a great, expensive wine so special in the first place will be lost among all the other flavors” in sangria, Haasarud writes.

— For best results, allow the sangria flavors to meld by refrigerating it, covered, overnight. If you don’t have time, mash the fruit slightly before mixing. This will release some of the juices into the sangria. Alternatively, saute the fruits over low heat in a small amount of simple syrup (recipe follows) until they begin to “bleed.” Add the fruit and the syrup to the sangria and mix.

— The fruit is part of the beauty of sangria. Cut fruit in interesting shapes for extra eye appeal.

— Chill and serve sangria in a nonmetal container, such as a glass or ceramic pitcher. Metal may react with wine and cause off-flavors.

— To make simple syrup (my recipe): Bring 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar to a low boil. Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate. This will keep indefinitely and makes a great sweetener for iced tea or iced coffee as well as sangria and cocktails.

SPANISH SANGRIA

1 (750-milliliter) bottle Spanish red wine

1/4 cup cognac

1/4 cup orange curacao

1/4 cup simple syrup (see above)

2 oranges, cut into half-rounds

2 peaches, pitted and cut into cubes

2 lemons, cut into half-rounds

Place all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive pitcher, and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve over ice. Garnish with additional fruit if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks” by Kim Haasarud (Wiley, 2008)

WHITE-WINE-PEAR SANGRIA

1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry Spanish white wine

2 cups pear nectar

1/3 cup Beefeater Wet Gin or dry gin

1/4 cup peach schnapps

3 tablespoons simple syrup (see above)

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more if needed

1-1/2 cups diced mixed fruits, such as peeled golden delicious apples, pears and peaches

ice cubes

Mix together the wine, pear nectar, gin, peach schnapps, syrup, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the fruit in a medium-sized, nonreactive pitcher. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, add the ice cubes. Taste, adding more lemon juice and syrup as necessary.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “The New Spanish Table” by Anya von Bremzen (Workman, 2005)

ROSE-RASPBERRY SANGRIA

2 cups raspberries

1 (750-milliliter) bottle Spanish rose wine

1/2 cup triple sec

1 cup fresh orange juice

3/4 cup pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons simple syrup (see above)

about 1-1/2 cups diced fruit, such as strawberries (hulled) and thin-skinned lemons (diced and unpeeled)

ice cubes

Place the raspberries in a blender and puree. Push through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium-sized pitcher. Discard the seeds that remain in the sieve.

Add the wine, triple sec, orange juice, pomegranate juice, lemon juice, simple syrup and fruit to the pitcher. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 to 6 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, add the ice cubes. Taste for sweetness, adding more lemon juice or syrup as necessary.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “The New Spanish Table” by Anya von Bremzen (Workman, 2005)

SANGAREE

1-1/2 ounces blended whisky (such as Royal Crown)

1 ounce tawny port

1 ounce simple syrup (see above)

splash of fresh lemon juice

ice cubes

club soda or seltzer, as needed

lemon peel, for garnish

ground cinnamon, for garnish

ground nutmeg, for garnish

Combine the whiskey, port, syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake moderately and strain into chilled cocktail glasses. Top with a splash of club soda or seltzer, garnish with a large piece of lemon peel, and dust with cinnamon and nutmeg

Yield: 1 serving

Recipe from “101 Sangrias & Pitcher Drinks” by Kim Haasarud (Wiley, 2008)

HIPOCRAS

1 (750-milliliter) bottle dry white or red wine

2 peeled, quarter-size slices fresh ginger

5 whole cloves

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons orange-blossom water (available in specialty stores)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

2 lemon slices

1 small ripe peach, nectarine or apple, cut into wedges

Combine all the ingredients in a large, nonreactive container. Let sit overnight, or even longer, in the fridge. To serve, strain, returning the fruit pieces to the wine. Serve very well chilled; no ice cubes, please.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from “La Cocina de Mama” by Penelope Casas (Broadway Books, 2005)

 

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.