[Mike Morales]

I've mentioned on the forum before that I'm not big on sangrita with tequila. I have started drinking a shot or two of Spicy V-8 with my tequilas recently. The only thing I can say is that it makes my snifters of tequila last longer! :D

Doing some checking in the archives, I've found some fabulous recipes--along with reifer's famous calling card version! To be honest, I've taken up the V-8 just to see if it is a decent palate cleanser.

For those of you that do like sangrita with your tequilas, do you feel they are best with blancos, reposados, or añejos? And...

Are they best as a palate cleanser if the recipe is thick, or thin?

[RLO1]

I haven't had any sangrita in a long time (too lazy to make), but back when I was, I mainly had it with Repo's.

[Lippy]

What a nice coincidence that this topic came up RIGHT AFTER I've had my FIRST SANGRITA!

I went to a local (Tiburon) gourmet Mex restaurant called, "Guayamas" because an acquaintance told me that their bar stocked bottles of "Canicas" for the tasting. I discovered that a shot of blanco was $16 bucks and the "aged" varieties were even more, so I opted for a few more available brands that I hadn't tried yet.. (Milagro, Tezon, & Corzo).. more about those tastings elsewhere.

But what REALLY sent me skyhigh was when the generous barkeep offered me and my compadre complimentary sangritas... MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm I LIKED it. I liked it ALOT. I was prepared for a sort of "virgin Bloody Mary". But it was more vegetal and citrus-y than that. It was delightful.

Who's got a good Sangrita recipe? I'm ready to commmit to a new chaser!

[gabe]

Lippy, on Jun 6 2006, 11:21 PM, said:

I went to a local (Tiburon) gourmet Mex restaurant called, "Guayamas" because an acquaintance told me that their bar stocked bottles of "Canicas" for the tasting. I discovered that a shot of blanco was $16 bucks and the "aged" varieties were even more, so I opted for a few more available brands that I hadn't tried yet.. (Milagro, Tezon, & Corzo).. more about those tastings elsewhere.

But what REALLY sent me skyhigh was when the generous barkeep offered me and my compadre complimentary sangritas... MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm I LIKED it. I liked it ALOT. I was prepared for a sort of "virgin Bloody Mary". But it was more vegetal and citrus-y than that. It was delightful.

Who's got a good Sangrita recipe? I'm ready to commmit to a new chaser!

Mmm, Guaymas. That's a very tasty restaurant. Their tequila bar is decent, not amazing, but I agree that the sangrita is a nice touch and is well done. Try a shot of the Casta Pasion anejo next time you're there. It's a good anejo for a good price.

[lirubis]

This is so funny! I still remember vividly our family dinners every sunday at the legendary LA VIUDA restaurant in Chapala, Mexico. The place was ALWAYS crowded by americans for dinner, and them as well as my aunts and uncles had a fanatical affair with the house Sangrita, believed by many to be the ORIGINAL recipe created by the famous "Viuda de Sanchez", that had NOTHING to do with tomato juice as some of you guys sometimes think or believe sangrita has something to do with...

Here is the EXACT paste of what the true legend of sangrita is:

link to the original in spanish...


La Sangrita.- Este popular acompañante del Tequila, tuvo su origen en Chapala, Jal. Hace cerca de 60 años. El Sr. Edmundo Sánchez, era propietario de un restaurante en el area turística de Chapala. Además de que junto con su esposa eran conocidos por servir ricos antojitos, también lo eran porque don "Mundo", como le llamaban sus allegados, servía un tequila que él mismo preparaba a la usanza de los pequeños hornos de piedra.

Como ese tequila era de preparación rudimentariamente artesanal, era fuerte y tufoso, por lo que la señora Sánchez solía poner en la mesa rebanadas de frescas naranjas, sal y chile rojo en polvo, mismas que eran usadas como acompañantes del tequila por el Sr. Edmundo y sus invitados y comensales, para contrarrestar los efectos quemantes del alcohol.

Fue tal el éxito y aceptación de este concepto, que visionariamente el Sr, Sánchez pidió a su esposa, que en lugar de poner las rebanadas de naranja en un platón, mejor les exprimiera el jugo en una jarra y les agregara la sal y el chile en polvo, adquiriendo la bebida un apetecible color rojizo, que posteriormente le valió el título de Sangrita.

Hoy en día la sangrita que se sirve en la mayoría de los restaurantes, dista mucho de ser esa sangrita, orgullo de la señora viuda de Sánchez, quien a la muerte de Don Edmundo y apoyada por su hijo del mismo nombre, industrializaron tan popular y tradicional bebida. Esa "otra" sangrita es elaborada con la creatividad de cada bartender a base de tomate, picante y limón. Y bien, como dicen por ahí que "en gustos se rompen géneros", la Sangrita sigue siendo una buena acompañante del Tequila, y se pueden degustar aquellas, que con un buen balance de sus ingredientes, las hacen apetecibles y disfrutables.
Buen provecho.

If you cannot read spanish, I will do some translating for you: Mr. Edmund Sanchez, the original owner of the restaurant I mentioned at the beginning, used to serve orange slices sprinkled with salt and red chili powder, to counter the sharp attack of the tequila. The leftover juice was SO popular that Mr Sanchez asked his wife (the now famous Viuda de Sanchez) to simply squeeze the orange juice and then add the other elements, (YES, only saly and red chili powder...NO TOMATO or LEMON or anything else...)

This is the original sangrita. I am proud to say that me and my family went to that restaurant so many times that the owner knew every member of my mother's family BY NAME... ^_^ ...and drank that sangrita in little "cazuelitas" by the gallons!

I only drink sangrita made this way up to this day, otherwise I just pass. It tastes delicious with blanco and reposados, but MY poison is CN Crystal, THIS sangrita, and a cold Sol or Estrella beer on the side. :D

[Wichie13]

lirubis, on Jun 7 2006, 11:22 AM, said:

to simply squeeze the orange juice and then add the other elements, (YES, only saly and red chili powder...NO TOMATO or LEMON or anything else...)

I have heard this before, but have not tried it. But I think even in mexico it comes more in the tomato variety then the one you speak of.

I will have to give it a try. Any idea on the amounts? :D

[Fuzzy Logic]

lirubis, on Jun 7 2006, 09:22 AM, said:

This is so funny! I still remember vividly our family dinners every sunday at the legendary LA VIUDA restaurant in Chapala, Mexico. The place was ALWAYS crowded by americans for dinner, and them as well as my aunts and uncles had a fanatical affair with the house Sangrita, believed by many to be the ORIGINAL recipe created by the famous "Viuda de Sanchez", that had NOTHING to do with tomato juice as some of you guys sometimes think or believe sangrita has something to do with...

I have posted a recipe for Sangrita Verde that is my favourite sangrita and also doesn't contain any tomato juice. It can be found here:

http://www.ianchadwi...?showtopic=1229

[Lippy]

Thanks for the links to the recipes.

Lirubis; that was a nice reminiscence.

[reifer]

lirubis, on Jun 7 2006, 10:22 AM, said:

This is so funny! I still remember vividly our family dinners every sunday at the legendary LA VIUDA restaurant in Chapala, Mexico. The place was ALWAYS crowded by americans for dinner, and them as well as my aunts and uncles had a fanatical affair with the house Sangrita, believed by many to be the ORIGINAL recipe created by the famous "Viuda de Sanchez", that had NOTHING to do with tomato juice as some of you guys sometimes think or believe sangrita has something to do with...

Don't want to appear to argue. And, I won't deny the claims made here but,
The only place I have seen that kind of sangrita is in a bottle. Viuda de Sanchez is sold nationwide in a bottle, for example. I don't care for it much. Generally way to sweet, since it not only is orange based but has grenadine added as well.
I have had sangrita in 100s of bars and restaurants in Mexico, from Hermosillo to Tapachula, over the years and they have all made the tomato based version. So, "us guys" are not the only ones who think sangrita has something to do with tomatoes. In my experience, if you get the "original" version, you can generally bet it came out of a bottle. I'm sure that there are exceptions but, that has been my experience.

We drink sangrita with anejo only, since that's all we drink. And we virtually have it every night.
My recipe is out there somewhere and, as someone mentioned, it's on my card. I've taught bartenders all over the world how to make it. We think it is the best way to drink tequila. And as I am sure many of you have heard before, if you order a good tequila in a nice bar in Mexico City and don't specify otherwise, it will come with sangrita--it's "normal".

[Seth Gordon]

Well, there's about a million sangrita recipes, out there, so here's mine:

Take bottle of good fresh tomato juice - preferably one that's 100%. It should be a little sweet, no added salt. I like Lakewood myself.

For a 64 oz bottle: pour it in a stockpot with a handful of roughly chopped cilantro, half a dozen chopped green onions (or scallions), a chipotle or two to taste, a couple cloves of garlic, and some julienned lime zest (about 1 lime - remove as much of the pith as possible) - save the limes and juice them, but don't add the juice.

(If you want to be REALLY fancy, blanch the lime zest in boiling water first - three seconds at most - then strain and immediately cool in icewater to stop it from losing flavor. This helps remove the bitter edge of some citrus peels.)

Bring to a boil and imediately reduce to a low simmer. Cook it down 'til it's about 3/4 of what it started as. You can cook it even further if you want to concentrate the flavors - I cook it down by 1/2 sometimes (use less chipotle if you do, it gets STRONG...) Add salt and pepper to taste. A li'l Ancho chile certainly never hurt anyone, either. Strain it if you want, or toss it in a blender to puree everything after it cools. put it back in the bottle and chill.

Serve three shot glasses: one tequila, one sangrita, and one half-full with the fresh lime juice. Then sip around from all three. Or pour it over ice and add a splash of lime directly.

A lot of work for a drink, I know. Make a lot, it keeps in the fridge. By no means do I ever stick strictly to this recipe - it's something that's fun to experiment with. The last batch I made was all ancho, no chipotle, and I used orange peel instead of lime. I think I threw some Epazote in there too. Pretty darn good.

For me, sangrita is for blancos & lighter reposados. For a good anejo, awash in aromas of baking spices and vanilla... my preferred accompaniment is definitely coffee or hot cocoa (if it needs accompaniment at all!)

[Mike Morales]

reifer, on Jun 7 2006, 02:39 PM, said:

Viuda de Sanchez is sold nationwide in a bottle....

Anybody know if this product is close to the original recipe at all?

[lirubis]

reifer, on Jun 7 2006, 01:39 PM, said:

Don't want to appear to argue. And, I won't deny the claims made here but,
The only place I have seen that kind of sangrita is in a bottle. Viuda de Sanchez is sold nationwide in a bottle, for example. I don't care for it much. Generally way to sweet, since it not only is orange based but has grenadine added as well.

As I said: the ORIGINAL recipe is natural[i]. In fact, I dont think the vast majority of people outside Mexico has NEVER tasted the famous "naranja agria" (sour orange) so widely available around Chapala Lake, that makes the original sangrita taste so unique and delicious. Normal sweet oranges just dont cut it. The BOTTLED Sangritas (ALL of them) are ABOMINATIONS, including the Viuda de Sanchez (YECCCHHHH!!), dont even REMOTELY taaste like the natural sangrita I am talking about.

You are right about not seeing this recipe in many places, as far as I can tell the ONLY places still serving the original are around the Chapala, Ajijic and the other Lake Chapala american communities in the area.

And as much as I would love to make analogies about how americans have distorted many original mexican recipes (tacos, burritos, and a LONG list of etceteras... ) to the point that they do not even remotely resemble the originals, well.... I guess we just have to live with that, dont we? ;)

[miken]

lirubis, on Jun 7 2006, 05:23 PM, said:

reifer, on Jun 7 2006, 01:39 PM, said:

Don't want to appear to argue. And, I won't deny the claims made here but,
The only place I have seen that kind of sangrita is in a bottle. Viuda de Sanchez is sold nationwide in a bottle, for example. I don't care for it much. Generally way to sweet, since it not only is orange based but has grenadine added as well.

As I said: the ORIGINAL recipe is natural[i]. In fact, I dont think the vast majority of people outside Mexico has NEVER tasted the famous "naranja agria" (sour orange) so widely available around Chapala Lake, that makes the original sangrita taste so unique and delicious. Normal sweet oranges just dont cut it. The BOTTLED Sangritas (ALL of them) are ABOMINATIONS, including the Viuda de Sanchez (YECCCHHHH!!), dont even REMOTELY taaste like the natural sangrita I am talking about.

You are right about not seeing this recipe in many places, as far as I can tell the ONLY places still serving the original are around the Chapala, Ajijic and the other Lake Chapala american communities in the area.

And as much as I would love to make analogies about how americans have distorted many original mexican recipes (tacos, burritos, and a LONG list of etceteras... ) to the point that they do not even remotely resemble the originals, well.... I guess we just have to live with that, dont we? ;)

I've heard the story of the old original viuda de sanchez, I would love to try it... not this bottled thing they now call sangrita... Maybe next time in Guadalajara a trip to Chapala is in order.

The base for good sangrita in my book is the "naranja agria".

[anejospirit]

lirubis, on Jun 7 2006, 10:22 AM, said:

This is so funny! I still remember vividly our family dinners every sunday at the legendary LA VIUDA restaurant in Chapala, Mexico. The place was ALWAYS crowded by americans for dinner, and them as well as my aunts and uncles had a fanatical affair with the house Sangrita, believed by many to be the ORIGINAL recipe created by the famous "Viuda de Sanchez", that had NOTHING to do with tomato juice as some of you guys sometimes think or believe sangrita has something to do with...

Here is the EXACT paste of what the true legend of sangrita is:

link to the original in spanish...


La Sangrita.- Este popular acompañante del Tequila, tuvo su origen en Chapala, Jal. Hace cerca de 60 años. El Sr. Edmundo Sánchez, era propietario de un restaurante en el area turística de Chapala. Además de que junto con su esposa eran conocidos por servir ricos antojitos, también lo eran porque don "Mundo", como le llamaban sus allegados, servía un tequila que él mismo preparaba a la usanza de los pequeños hornos de piedra.

Como ese tequila era de preparación rudimentariamente artesanal, era fuerte y tufoso, por lo que la señora Sánchez solía poner en la mesa rebanadas de frescas naranjas, sal y chile rojo en polvo, mismas que eran usadas como acompañantes del tequila por el Sr. Edmundo y sus invitados y comensales, para contrarrestar los efectos quemantes del alcohol.

Fue tal el éxito y aceptación de este concepto, que visionariamente el Sr, Sánchez pidió a su esposa, que en lugar de poner las rebanadas de naranja en un platón, mejor les exprimiera el jugo en una jarra y les agregara la sal y el chile en polvo, adquiriendo la bebida un apetecible color rojizo, que posteriormente le valió el título de Sangrita.

Hoy en día la sangrita que se sirve en la mayoría de los restaurantes, dista mucho de ser esa sangrita, orgullo de la señora viuda de Sánchez, quien a la muerte de Don Edmundo y apoyada por su hijo del mismo nombre, industrializaron tan popular y tradicional bebida. Esa "otra" sangrita es elaborada con la creatividad de cada bartender a base de tomate, picante y limón. Y bien, como dicen por ahí que "en gustos se rompen géneros", la Sangrita sigue siendo una buena acompañante del Tequila, y se pueden degustar aquellas, que con un buen balance de sus ingredientes, las hacen apetecibles y disfrutables.
Buen provecho.

If you cannot read spanish, I will do some translating for you: Mr. Edmund Sanchez, the original owner of the restaurant I mentioned at the beginning, used to serve orange slices sprinkled with salt and red chili powder, to counter the sharp attack of the tequila. The leftover juice was SO popular that Mr Sanchez asked his wife (the now famous Viuda de Sanchez) to simply squeeze the orange juice and then add the other elements, (YES, only saly and red chili powder...NO TOMATO or LEMON or anything else...)

This is the original sangrita. I am proud to say that me and my family went to that restaurant so many times that the owner knew every member of my mother's family BY NAME... ^_^ ...and drank that sangrita in little "cazuelitas" by the gallons!

I only drink sangrita made this way up to this day, otherwise I just pass. It tastes delicious with blanco and reposados, but MY poison is CN Crystal, THIS sangrita, and a cold Sol or Estrella beer on the side. :D

Nice!!! Thank you :D