Sangria for Cinco De Mayo

This is another idea for your Cinco de Mayo party! I admit to taking shortcuts and buying prepared sangria from the liquor store and adding fruit. Simple and easy especially when you are pressed for time. But, when you can take the time, there is nothing that can compare to making your own and this is a recipe that I found quite awhile ago and is really good. I try to rationalize drinking this as having all those nice healthy fruits in there!! OK, so they become happy fruits. But if you are having some friends over for a little Mexican fiesta, give this a try. If you double the recipe , put it in a punch bowl. It looks very pretty.


Best Party Sangria Recipe
Perfect for big parties, you may want to double the recipe.

1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet, Rioja or Red Zinfandel....I like the Rioja)
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
1 lime cut into wedges
2 Tbsp sugar
Splash of orange juice
2 shots of gin
1 cup of sliced strawberries or raspberries (you can use frozen, but I like fresh better
1 small can of diced pineapples with juice
4 cups of ginger ale


Pour wine into a large pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon , orange and lime into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges, leaving out the seeds. Add the diced pineapple, sugar, orange juice and gin. Chill overnight. The next day, add ginger ale, berries and ice just before serving. I usually do this in a punch bowl. Remember, the best sangrias are chilled around 24 hours in the fridge to allow the flavors to really marinate into each other.