How to Become Obsessed with Sangria
Sangria. When you are 21 years old, do you think about sangria as a drink of choice? That was definitely not my go-to. My go-to was dirty Shirley temples, Patron Tequila, blueberry kamikazes, and Corona Extra with Lime.
I did not focus on red wine, white wine, or even wine in general, until about 22 years of age. But...not too much later, I learned about drinks you can make with wine.
Bonus: We can all enjoy Autumn Sangria for any occasion yet affordable for those who are on a budget. Like me and many millennials who like their drinks.
I made the Autumn Sangria on Christmas Eve, 2019 because my parents were in town and lets face it, we all could use some wine in our lives when family is involved. We left the sangria in a mixing bowl, sat around the table, drank the wine and enjoyed some famous 1954 created Betty Crocker Snickerdoodles, and Italian Icing Lemon Cookies.
Ingredients:
•1 750-ml bottle wine, red blend
•1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
•1/2 cup red grapes
•1 pear, cored and cubed
•1 apple cored and cubed
•2 mandarin oranges, sliced and halved
•1/4 cup pomegranate juice.
•1/2 cup brandy
•1 cup sparkling cider.
•4 cinnamon sticks for garnish
•Ice when serving.
This recipe was one of the easiest recipes I could have made. No cooking, or baking, just mixology. What a switch up.
Our Ratings
My rating: 7/10. I don’t eat fruit on the regular nor drink sweet wine on the regular. I usually have tart red wines when I drink such as house merlot, cabernet, or pinot noir. Apples and bananas are the only fruits I eat from time to time. Though, I will say it took me about 15 minutes to make. So, that boosted the score a smidge.
Shayne’s rating: 8/10.- Only stipulation was how there were pomegranate seeds in the drink. Though he knew the recipe, he doesn’t like how there is crunchiness in his drink, let alone in any alcoholic drinks.
Mom’s rating: 10/10. It wasn’t overly sweet, there was a mix of tartness. It was very smooth going down and no bad aftertaste. Fruit was not overly sweet due to being winter; it added more of a tang. The only thing would be less fruit because of how the fruit absorbed the wine so quickly.
Dad’s rating: 10/10. It was just really good, he enjoyed the fruit aspect. Simple man = simple responses.
In addition to adding to our ratings, we were able to keep the Sangria fresh in the fridge for 5 days. Trust me with each other in an 911 square foot apartment, we needed the alcohol.
The Financials:
As described in the introduction of the recipe, this type of drink is made for all those who are on a budget. For those who love to save money, this is an ideal recipe. There is no specific types of ingredients that need to be bought, therefore, you can choose whichever deem affordable. I did my grocery shopping at Walmart and Publix Grocery store. Below is the cost of each item.
•750-ml bottle wine, red blend- $8.98
•Pomegranate seeds-$4.98
•Red grapes-$3.59
•Pear-$1.24
• Apple-$0.01
•Mandarin oranges- $1.36
•Pomegranate juice-$3.48
•Brandy-$11.28
•Sparkling cider- $2.18
•Cinnamon sticks-$4.98
Total Cost: $42.08.
Obviously, this is not cheap, cheap. The most expensive this on this list was the brandy. I got an apple for a penny. A PENNY.
For savings, I used Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, ShopKick, and Coinout. Ibotta earned me $1.20 back. A dollar was given back because I chose [yellow tail] wine, Jammy Red Roo. The price was already $8.98 so by getting a dollar back in savings, the wine became $7.98. 20 cents was retrieved for any items for both Walmart trips. 10 cents per trip.
Fetch Rewards earned me 75 points for 3 scanned receipts from both Walmart shopping trips and one Publix shopping trip.
ShopKick earned me 10 kicks by walking in, no items that I needed were able to be scanned or bought.
Coinout gave me 20 cents back for three receipts from Walmart and Publix. Finally, I earned $1.40 in cash back for my sangria items, (I earned more from other products), 75 points for gift cards, and 10 kicks for more gift cards.
Granted, this isn’t a process that will earn me thousands, not even hundreds of dollars overnight. For basic grocery shopping, it is not the norm. I earned, $1.40, 75 points for gift cards, and 10 kicks for more gift cards. Now I will save, $1.40, 75 points, and 10 kicks for gift cards.
This is a wonderful way to celebrate the Christmas holiday. My parents became obsessed with the Sangria and want to drink more types. I saved money and earned perks back while trying a new recipe, and channeled creativity. Finally, I got to incorporate holiday traditions and start new ones with my husband. The flavors of the winter fruits were infused and the wine I chose was a blend of berries, vanilla, and chocolate. If you are not a sweet wine fan, I would recommend that would you eat savory appetizers, red meat, or spice-infused desserts to balance out that palate of yours. The Holidays give any opportunity to try new blends of flavors.