Sangria de Cava (Sangria made with Spanish Sparkling Wine)

Cava is made in the same way as champagne. Not many sparkling wines use the same method and, to me, champagne and cava definitely have the edge over prosecco or other sparkling wines. Cava has always been a celebration drink in Spain, but with prices being so affordable these days I thought I could make a sangria with it. The result is so refreshing, fruity and sharp.

Spanish Made Simple by Omar Allibhoy.

Ingredients

• 1 orange

• 200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 10 strawberries, quartered

• 1 pear, cored and roughly chopped

• 1 peach, roughly chopped

• 200ml (3/4 cup) brandy

• 200ml (3/4 cup) Cointreau

• 1 x 75cl bottle Spanish cava brut

• fresh mint leaves

Directions

Refrigerate your glasses so that you can enjoy your drink as cold as possible.

Remove the zest of the orange in long strips. Squeeze the juice into a saucepan with the strips of zest, the sugar, cinnamon stick, the strawberries and the chopped pear and peach. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Pour into a 2-litre jug (2-quart pitcher) with the brandy and Cointreau, stir with a wooden spoon and put in the fridge to chill until completely cold.

Stir the chilled mixture again and then pour 3 Tbsp into each glass. Top up with the fizzy cava, serve with a mint leaf and enjoy it while it lasts.

 

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Recipes excerpted with permission from Spanish Made Simple by Omar Allibhoy, published by Quadrille May 2017, RRP $24.99 hardcover.