There are many stories and legends of the origin of the Sangria, but one of the most reliable historical reconstructions says that it was created in 1800 by Spanish and Portuguese peasants, who used to prepare this drink with the products of the land that they had available at the moment: wine, apples, peaches and citric fruits.

There is another version, which tells that the origin of the Sangria dates back to the year 1700, and that it was the idea of a group of British sailors. At that time, there was a ban on alcoholic drinks at the Antilles ports, and the sailors masked the Spanish rum with honey, spices, local fruits and wine to make it look like a fruits juice and be able to drink at the port.

In the Catalonian region there is a variation with cava instead of wine (Sangría de Cava), which is a very refreshing alternative version, perfect for the summer nights.

If you ever stayed at our hotels, probably you've tried this famous drink! Here is a recipe for how we make wine and cava sangria at Sumus Hotels, so you can prepare it at home: 

WINE SANGRIA RECIPE (1L)

First dice some fruits (orange, lemon, peach...) and put them inside the jar, adding afterwards the following mix: 50ml of Gin, 50ml of Brandy, 50ml of Cointreau and 50ml of Liquor 43. Leave it for a while to macerate the fruits. Just before to serve it, add some ice cubes, 75ml of Fanta orange and fill the rest of the jar with red wine.

CAVA SANGRIA RECIPE (1L)

Just as you did with the wine sangria, slice some fruits (in this case we recommend you to use oranges and strawberries) and add the following mix: 50ml of Gin, 50ml of Brandy, 50ml of Cointreau, 50ml of white Martini and leave it for a while for the fruits to absorbe the taste. Just before to serve it, add some ice, 75ml of orange juice and fill the rest of the jar with Cava. If you like it to be sweet, add a little bit of grenadine. Refreshing!