Many people know of Sangria, the Spanish / Portuguese cocktail made with red win and fruit, but most people don't know of Sangrita, the ultimate palate cleanse you can use between sipping various tequilas. Today I'll talk about Sangrita, it's origin, and how it's made.
What is Sangrita?
Many Sangrita recipes date back to Guadalajara, Mexico. While the U.S. was in prohibition, the Mexicans were making fruit salads made of stuff like mangoes, papayas, cucumbers, tangerines, finished with sprinkles of chili-laced jicamas and pomegranate seeds. This was dubbed “Pico de Gallo,” and it was a staple at breakfast tables in Jalisco. The juice from the fruits were kept in small clay cups called caballitos and then used later to pair with a blanco sipping tequila. Both were enjoyed slowly, of course.
And from those humble beginnings, the origin of Sangrita was born. This drink can be mixed with any variety of spices or juices to make the ultimate Sangrita. Just like in a traditional margarita recipe, the blanco tequila is the normal choice, but of course, you can use a reposado or anejo if you want to mix it up. Everyone has a different preference on tastes, so mix and match until you find something that tickles your fancy.
It's recommended to make a pitcher of Sangrita and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. There are many accompaniments that you can add to this, for example, hot sauce. Adding hot sauce to the mix reminds me of a famous Costa Rican shot, the chiliguaro.
If you want to keep learning about the accompaniments that go along with tequila and mezcal, make sure to read about the gusano de maguey.
Sangrita Recipes
Here are various recipes for sangrita that I've found online:
Steps to Make Sangrita
Sources Used in Creating this article:
I have to make this ASAP!