strawberry paloma sangria
Combining two of my favorite summertime adult beverages into one giant pitcher. Bottoms up!
Officially hanging out in sangria season and this Strawberry Paloma Sangria is a funky, fresh riff that should earn its spot within your Memorial Day spread. Sangrias are rad for bigger gatherings, since its meant to be mixed up in large quantities. Best part? Sangria is meant to be prepared ahead of time, which means more space to work the kinks out of your grill and sneak a few sips of the rosé wine you’re using.
I love the versatility of sangrias. You could plug in a thousand fruits in a random number generator or some shit and come up with a completely new, and likely fantastic, combination which translates to all parts of the year. Remember my two Christmas sangrias, one for Santa and the second a mulled wine variety?
I’m yapping too much, so let’s just get down on it, shall we?
Paloma-Ria
Lame subheading, I know, leave me alone.
Sangria involves minimal steps, just a bunch of mixing shit in a pitcher. I like to taste it once I’ve added the components to see if the drink needs a pinch of this or a splash of that. I suggest you do the same.
Further, I tend to mix in the liquids first so everything combines more easily – the fruits inside the pitcher sometimes get in the way of my spoon. Rude, right? Start with the minimum amount of agave (or honey/granulated sugar, if you prefer) and add a tablespoon more at a time until you get the sweetness right.
Choose a crispy rosé you like to drink. Needn’t be expensive, since it gets adorned with plenty of costume pieces, but I never buy a full-on shitty wine even when mixing with it. Trader Joe’s nearly always sells a solid bottle that won’t rip your wallet into shards.
Afterwards, plop in the fruit: grapefruit slices, strawberries, mint (not a fruit, but you get the point), and lime wedges. Cover that puppy up and throw it in the fridge for at least an hour. I usually limit the chilling time to 6 hours since the citrus rinds can make the mix bitter if left too long.
When serving, you can be as maximal or frugal as you wish. If you’re serving a small group, some prettily rimmed glasses with sparkly salt or sugar fancies up the occasion. Add a splash of sparkling water to the top of each serving for an extra fizz, throw in some berries and mint leaves. Since we’re talking palomas here, a big grapefruit wedge doesn’t hurt, either.
Anything fun planned for Memorial Day? Some sickies float around the house so it might be a pretty lowkey day, otherwise we’ll probably wander to the grill and cook up some whole branzinos and whatever else I think of beforehand.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
strawberry paloma sangria
Ingredients
- 1 bottle rosé wine
- 3/4 cup tequila
- 1 cup fresh grapefruit juice
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/3-1/2 cup agave syrup, to taste
- 1 grapefruit, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh mint, roughly torn
- 2 limes, sliced
- sparkling water, to top
- salt, for rimming glasses (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, combine the rosé, tequila, grapefruit and lime juices, agave, sliced grapefruit, strawberries, mint leaves, and limes. Stir with a long-handled spoon. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour, longer if you're able.
- If desired, when ready to serve, run a lime or grapefruit wedge around several cocktail glasses. Rim with salt (or sugar!) and divide the sangria amongst cups. Garnish with grapefruit wedges and extra mint, as desired.
