Tropical Sangria
This easy and refreshing drink is a staple in my house. I call it my tropical Sangria, although it should really be called everything on hand Sangria. In fact, I also make this tropical Sangria as a mocktail. It is a blend of pineapple and mango juices steeped in spices with a hint of black salt. We Indians of course enjoy spices all year round, but generally this is a hit around the holidays. This mixture of spices is something that I have learnt along the way. I steep the juices and fruit overnight and the result is a fragrant and refreshing drink. Technically, the only countries of Spain and Portugal have claim to this drink. Anything else such as my variation is probably best labelled a Sangria.
Back to our lives and the kids, I have a bit of a guilty confession. I am not sure if any other mommy had issues between picking between her kids. Much to my guilty acknowledgement in my case, my younger one Aadi sometimes gets priority. Aadi is also the more creative and sensitive of my two children. He is closer in temperament to me than the Dad!. We are both emotional and exuberant about life, Aadi thinks and dreams a lot about the world around him, Deepta my daughter is the practical one. They are both very sensitive as children should be. She however is more literal and a calm and peaceful child. Somehow, even as a baby, she was slightly more restrained in her affections.
Well, today in school was literacy fair that essentially featured the work of the kids for kindergarten. It usually entailed picture taking, however as he informed me, he wanted only a family picture and had informed his teacher of such. The result of which you see below.
After a harried day, I am glad that this Sangria was in the refrigerator waiting for me. Well steeped in spices to boot.
About the Spices
This spice infused drink uses cinnamon and all spice for flavor. A process of overnight steeping and straining imparts a gentle fragrant juice ready for other things. The black salt gets added in along with the fruit, added just a hint of savory. This is something that I like to do in drinks. You will find this in my other drink recipes like this Watermelon Sangria.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pineapple juice
- 1 cup mango or apricot nectar
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (this depends on the sweetness of the juice and your preferences)
- 1 teaspoon black salt (optional, but recommended)
- 1cup sliced fruit or berries
- 2 limes thinly sliced
- 1 cup of white wine
- 1/2 cup of rum
Instructions
- Mix the pineapple juice and mango or apricot nectar in a pitcher. Add in the cinnamon sticks and all spice berries and the brown sugar and soak for a few hours.
- Strain the spices out. You do not have to do this, but they do get in the way when pouring out the drink if left in the drink.
- Add in the black salt if using, and then stir in the fruit or berries, sliced lime, white wine and the rum.
- Let the mixture chill for a couple of hours before serving.