Fig Sangria

   I have been extremely busy the last month and haven’t been able to post.  A cocktail book I am authoring is taking shape though and I am very excited about it, more details to come…
   Sangria’s are tough to nail down perfectly because there is no perfect sangria!  There is so much room for experimenting which makes them so much fun to make and can be the staple of a party, bbq or any get- together.  Sangria’s originated the same way most wine based drinks originated early in history by adding herbs and fruits into low quality wine or wine going bad to make it drinkable.  The word sangria means bloody in both Spanish and Portuguese (the regions where the base recipe originates) and has now evolved into countless recipes and techniques (typing sangria into Google returns over 3.5 million results).
   I have put together a fig sangria for a Spanish themed party I bartended with fantastic results.  The wines I like to use for any red sangria are a Tempranillo, Grenache or a blend of the two.  Give this a try and then move on to your own experimenting.  Sangrias are fast sellers behind the bar and perfect for parties, cheers.

       Fig Sangria
       1 bottle Spanish wine (I used a Granacha)
       1/2 cup simple syrup
       1/2 cup brandy (I used Christian Brothers)
       2 cups (or so) Fig Puree
       1 lime sliced into very thin wheels
       1 lemon sliced into very thin wheels
       1 orange sliced into very thin wheels
       Add all into a bowl and very gently press down on the fruit wheels with a muddler to release just a little of the citrus juices.  Refrigerate over night to let all the flavors infuse into the wine.

       Fig Puree
       10 mission figs cut in half
       1 1/2 cup water
       Put figs and water in together then bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and turn heat down to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 or 20 minutes then remove from heat.  Dump all into a food processor leave on for a couple minutes until it is one uniform puree.

   Ice is key in a punch or sangria.  We need to keep this cold but diluting it too much can ruin all your hard work.  A great way to solve this is to add 2 cups of water into a pot.  Bring to a boil and then let cool.  Pour the water into a freezer safe bowl that won’t crack and then freeze.  When frozen, put the bowl in hot water for a minute, remove the mini ice berg and add to your sangria.  The large ice cube will keep the sangria cold but its density will keep it from melting to fast.  If you want to be really cool you can let this freeze a little then add some more figs (or any fruit) into the water and freeze them into your huge ice cube.

By: Mark Sexauer