There are a lot of variations of alcoholic drinks out there. There is beer, vodka, rum, gin and then there is wine which is considered an elite type of drink. Unlike the other drink mentioned here, wine is considered to be a classier version of alcoholic drinks. There are several iterations and variations of wines as well such as Sangria Systembolaget which are very popular and are enjoyed by the masses.
A systembolaget is basically a Swedish government store that is mandated to sell alcohol. A Sangria Systembolaget is basically a type of wine that has originated in Spain. Spanish Wines are known for their taste and elegance and the same can be said for a Sangria. Sangria is not a wine but essentially it's a recipe that originated from Portugal and Spain. The ingredients of Sangria involve a mix of wine types, fresh fruit, sugar, or a sweetener that ideally contains honey, orange juice, or simple syrup. You can even add a bit of extra alcohol by adding another beverage to it.
Sangria Systembolaget is definitely enjoyed by people on a hot summer morning or during a barbecue session. The best part about this drink is that it is quite adaptable and the ingredients of this drink can be changed according to the taste of the person who intends to drink it.
You can easily mix and match the items in Sangria Systembolaget to suit your taste. This drink is not very expensive as well if you compare it to other types of cocktails out there.
History of Sangria Systembolaget
One thing people need to realize is that Sangria Systembolaget is more or less a type of cocktail and not an individual variation of a drink. For centuries in Europe specifically, a mixture of wine and other ingredients was served which is now known as Sangria. The origination of Sangria can be traced back to the middle ages wherein both men and women liked to drink Sangria Systembolaget.
A lot of people earlier would mix wine with spices such as cinnamon, ginger, pepper, and other types of spices that were used on a daily basis in that era. The spices in these drinks were particularly added according to the time of the day.
A lot of people added spices to their diet as well. Unlike the current times where the wine is not that strong, the wines in earlier times were quite harsh and strong and not everyone could consume it easily. So in order to ease down the power of the wine, a lot of additional ingredients such as fruits and spices were added just like how we add different elements to our breakfast.
The major inception of sangria came directly or indirectly due to Americans. It was widely considered that Americans did not have the capacity to consume strong drinks. In order to promote drinking among them, the Spanish people during the world fair came up with the idea of Sangria. In this idea, the Europeans mixed the stronger wines with other materials such as syrups, fruits, and other stuff to tone down the effects of the stronger wine.
And the idea was brilliant since the Americans loved the drink and eventually the idea spread and Sangria soon became a mainstream type of cocktail among the crowds. A lot of restaurants now especially in North America started replicating these ideas and using them to serve their customers. A lot of the restaurants came up with their own recipes of Sangria and the drink has now gripped a lot of drinkers. In 2022, the drink of Sangria has evolved.
Unlike the earlier time when people had to separately buy wine and other ingredients separately, the drink now comes in a premade mixture of wine and the other ingredients.
Due to the misrepresentation of the name Sangria, it is now mandated by law that Sangria can only be imported from either Spain or Portugal as per the law passed by the European Parliament which adopted a new set of wine labeling rules and regulations.
How to Make a Sangria
As said earlier, if you are looking to make one of the most versatile and adaptable drinks available out there, Sangria is the drink for you. You can use a plethora of ingredients that can be tried and combined with wine in order to make a Sangria. You can adjust the drink according to your own tastes.
For instance, if a person has a taste for strawberry he/she can easily mix the strawberry syrup into the wine mixture to give the distinctive strawberry taste. A lot of the time these recipes do not end up being tasty if you are making it at home. But you can always try the trial and error method in order to nail the recipe. While choosing the type of wine you have a plethora of options in hand.
You can choose the red, white, sparkling, or rose type of win. If required you can even mix two different types of wine. However, while choosing wine it is preferable that the base wine is a red wine since that generally gives out the best results. Now the second part is a sweetener.
A sweetener is generally subjective and depends on the taste of the person who is drinking the Sangria. There are a number of choices available such as Orange juice, pineapple juice, a simple sugar syrup, honey, or maple syrup. If you like a particular flavor you can most definitely choose the specific juice.
One thing you need to keep in mind is that the sweetener taste must be contrasting from the wine taste. If the wine taste is citrusy, it is recommended that you not add orange juice since it would strengthen the citrusy taste in the Sangria.
A lot of the people who want to make the drink a bit stronger add a bit of brandy to it and you would be good to go.
