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BETWEEN THE THINNING ozone and rising temperatures, this country is developing a palpable thirst. And to be honest, we’re a nation that gets cranky when parched. On those summer nights when the A/C isn’t cutting it, there’s nothing more delicious and thirst quenching than Sangria. It’s easily prepared, loaded with profit and a perfect companion for light summer fare. Sangria is traditionally made with red wine, fresh fruit and a wide assortment of spirits and liqueurs. The classic punch falls somewhere between lemonade and instant oatmeal in ease of preparation. It’s a simple process of marrying together wine, fruit and perhaps a choice spirit or liqueur for added pizzazz in a pitcher—or large goblet for a single serving.
At the end of the process, after all of the ingredients have been added, the only thing left to do is place the container of Sangria in the cooler and let it steep overnight. This will allow the flavors of the wine, fruit and spirits time to fully integrate. And when that happens, the results are heavenly.
LIKE MOST AMERICANS, Sangria is not originally from these parts. It originated in Spain and Portugal as a drink of the people, a celebration of summer. It made its U.S. debut in 1905 in Ybor 
City, a historic community just outside of Tampa. That year the family-owned Columbia Restaurant opened its doors serving up authentic Spanish and Cuban cuisine, and pitchers of icy cold Sangria prepared fresh at tableside. All were a smash hit.
While now considerably larger, the Columbia Restaurant continues to flourish in the same location on 7th Avenue with the same family at the helm. The specialty of the house is the now famous SANGRIA Y TORO. Prepared tableside on a clothed cart, a member of the staff quarters a lemon and orange, squeezes the juice into an iced pitcher, adds sugar, a split of Torres Sangre Spanish Red Wine and a healthy measure of brandy and orange liqueur. The concoction is doted over and stirred gently. After a few banter-filled minutes the Sangria is pronounced ready.
The mélange adopts an enticing look of a drink skillfully crafted. Its succulent, fresh fruit bouquet is intoxicating, a lavish affair accentuated with spicy, oaky notes of brandy. That their version of the Sangria is delicious goes without saying.
SANGRIA IS AN accommodating concoction with a creative range limited only by the availability of fresh produce. Most seasonal fruits are well cast in the lead roles, especially lemons, limes, oranges and grapefruit. Their high acidity will balance the drink’s natural sweetness and keep the other fruit in the mix from discoloring. As for the rest of the crew, a varied assortment of apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, blackberries, strawberries and grapes are often enlisted for added dimension, fragrance and color contrast.
Classically styled Sangria is typically made with a moderately priced red wine. The famed wines from the Rioja or Penedes regions of Spain are appropriate choices, as are California Zinfandel 
or Cabernet Sauvignon. Not surprisingly, white Sangrias are prepared with white wines. The choice in wine is based solely on availability and personal preference. Champagne and sparkling wine are often added for a splash of flavor and effervescence.
The Sangria’s wine and fruit base makes a wonderfully hospitable environment for many different spirits, liqueurs and fortified wines. Leading spirit candidates include brandy, pisco, flavored vodkas and rums. All-stars such as Cointreau, triple sec, crème de cassis, peach schnapps, apricot liqueurs and Chambord are also frequently used in Sangrias.
Nacional 27 in Chicago promotes a delectable WHITE SANGRIA concocted with South American Chardonnay and a bracer of Peruvian pisco brandy. The POMEGRANATE & PEACH SANGRIA at Houston’s Backstreet Cafe is a blend of pomegranate juice, fresh pureed peaches, guava nectar, orange juice, Cointreau and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.
Serving guests fabulous Sangrias in a plain nondescript glass is like displaying a magnificent painting in a cardboard frame. So consider your glassware options. Sangrias are most often served in tall glasses with ice. Wine goblets are especially well suited for the job. The glasses you choose should have a minimum capacity of 12-14 ounces, although those with 16-18 ounce capacities offer more latitude when it comes to garnishing and adding a few creative twists.
Tall, icy cold and brilliantly refreshing, Sangria is the consummate summer libation. The warmer it gets, the better the drink likes it.
and restaurants, leaving gallons of Sangria steeping in the walk-in cooler is problematic, both logistically and from a control standpoint. On the other hand, preparing single servings of Sangria on the fly typically fails to measure up to expectations. As good fortune would have it, necessity has brought about a solution, this time in the form of FINEST CALL PREMIUM SANGRIA MIX and FINEST CALL PREMIUM WHITE SANGRIA MIX. These ultra-cool mixes provide the foundation upon which to build a summer masterpiece. They make creating irresistible Sangria by the glass or pitcher a breeze. Combine either with your house wine—red or white—some ice and the drink is ready to go.
The Finest Call Premium Sangria Mix is crafted from a blend of 6 juices, namely red grape juice from California, sweet cherry juice from the Pacific Northwest, premium pomegranate juice imported from Turkey, Persian lime juice plus lemon and orange juice. The juice constitutes almost 35% of the total volume of the mix.
The result has the look and feel of one made from scratch. The mix has a deep purple hue and an enticing berry and citrus-forward bouquet. Its light, lushly textured body delivers a lively set of dry and slightly tart flavors, all of which have melded together seamlessly—as if the mix had just been made and allowed to steep overnight. The finish is crisp and delicious.
Recently released Finest Call 
Premium White Sangria Mix is equally appealing. It’s comprised of a blend of white grape, peach, lime, lemon, pear and banana juice, all of which constitutes 41% of the mix. A variety of natural flavors are added to ensure it is light and fruity and blends effortlessly with all white wines.
They achieved their objective. The yellow-gold colored White Sangria mix is light-bodied with a lively fruit bouquet and fresh, well-balanced fruit flavor. As one would hope, the mix is slightly tart, slightly sweet with a light touch of acidic and a clean, crisp finish.
Achieving Sangria perfection with either mix is nearly foolproof. The label recommends using a ratio of 1 part mix to 2 parts wine. Should that prove a bit too tart for your tastes, sweeten it by adding in some more wine.
Were only more things in life as easily mastered. Salud!