Red red wine...

Boozy, beautiful, slightly sweet, and full of orange and cinnamon notes, that's how easy-peasy this Sangria is easy-peasy

Boozy, beautiful, slightly sweet, and full of orange and cinnamon notes, that’s the easy-peasy Red Wine Sangria. The beauty of Sangria is its simplicity. Red wine, liqueur, and fruit served over ice pretty much sums up the drink.

Sangria is basically a big batch of wine cocktail made with red or white wine, liqueur and/or brandy, and fruit such as oranges and apples. You can also cut the alcohol by adding carbonated water, tonic, or lemon-lime soda. Citrus fruits such as oranges and lemons are common additions to Sangria as they add colour and flavour to the drink immediately, but also over time. The longer fruit and spices sit in the boozy concoction, the more complex and fruity the flavour becomes.

Sangria is one of the easiest cocktails to make. Pour sugar into a pitcher. Add a couple of cinnamon sticks, then the booze and orange juice. Stir to combine, and top it all off with some orange slices. Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, and you are ready to party!

This Sangria can be made a couple of days before you want to serve it. The cinnamon flavour grows more pronounced the longer you keep it but just wait until the day you plan to serve it to add the sliced oranges and reduce the cinnamon sticks from three to two.

Ingredients

5 oranges

1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar

3 cinnamon sticks

1 bottle red wine

1 1/2 cups Cointreau

Method

Slice one orange into rounds, then cut them into half-moons. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from two of the oranges in long strips. Make sure you leave the white pith on the orange. You want the strips to be thin, about 1/2-inch wide, and long enough to twist.

Slice in half the oranges you just peeled and the two oranges that remain unscathed, then juice them. The four oranges should give you about 1 cup of juice. If you have a little more or a little less than 1 cup, that’s okay. Put the orange peels in a covered container and place them in the fridge.

In a large pitcher, add the sugar, cinnamon sticks, wine, Cointreau, and orange juice. Stir to combine and let the sugar dissolve. Add the orange slices. Put it in the fridge for 2 hours or up to 4 days.

When ready to serve, add ice to the pitcher or pour the Sangria into glasses filled with ice, and add an orange peel twist to each glass.