Spanish Sangria! It stands up to the rich flavor of slow-smoked BBQ. Try BBQ chef Larry Vito´s recipe!

Aah, Sangria! Pair BBQ chef Larry Vito´s recipe with your favorite smoked meats

Let’s talk about Sangria — a wine based beverage for people that don’t like wine. For non wine lovers, mix up some Sangria with the idea that the fruitier, the better! Sangria is the perfect blend to please everyone and it fits with BBQ like sauce on ribs!!

Be careful not to make it too strong because your guests will be drinking plenty of it. My earliest memory of drinking Sangria was that it went down like soda, but kicked like a mule! The basic ingredients of Sangria are a good red wine, brandy, fruit and ice.

Here is a simple recipe that takes no time to fix and has a good balance of alcohol and fruit with a good acid backbone to stand up to a spicy rub and BBQ Sauce.

1 Bottle Red Wine
1 to 2 cups Brandy – Start with 1 cup and add if you want more
1 to 2 cups sugar – Adjust to your taste
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
5 strawberries
1 apple
2 cups club soda
Method: Slice the fruit and place in a large pitcher with all ingredients except for the club soda. Allow to sit for at least 2 hours. If you have the foresight, make it the night before. Just before serving, add club soda and plenty of ice cubes. If it tastes too strong, add more club soda.

When you think you are finished, a good trick is to take a sip of Sangria and then a spoonful of your BBQ sauce and see if you like the combination. If not, then play with the acid and sugar components of the sauce to correct the flavor until the two can coexist happily in your mouth at the same time. If your new at this, you might need to make 2 pitchers. The first for adjusting and the second so you have some for your guests when they arrive and find you napping.