• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
life in the boat
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Sailing
  • Recipes
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Sailing
  • Recipes
  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
×

Home » Blog » Beverages » Sangria - Snowcat Style

Sangria - Snowcat Style

Posted: Aug28,2018 | Modified: March 28, 2020 | by Karen

Jump to Recipe

Dillon sailingLearning how to sail on Colorado's mountain lakes prepared us for living on a sailboat, with one notable exception...anchoring.  In our years of sailing on the Dillon reservoir we never had to anchor. The lake is deep and there aren't any beaches so there was nothing in our Colorado sailing experience that prepared us for the cruising lifestyle where you must anchor your boat every day.  We learned quickly that throwing out our anchor, "the hook",  in an anchorage and staying put as the winds and current pull your boat toward a rocky shore is the most important skill a sailing family should have.

Spanish beach

Anchoring in Ibiza

I remember one particularly challenging anchorage in Ibiza, Spain.  We had just left the factory in France with our new Catana catamaran, Snowcat, and headed to the Balearic Islands, an archipelago of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea.  We found an idyllic bay with only a few other boats and a white sandy beach. With Dean at the helm and the boys and I on the bow, we lowered our Spade anchor and started paying out our chain as the boat slowly drifted back with the wind.  Generally, once we'd let out enough chain, based on the depth of the water,  Dean would put the boat in reverse and slowly back down until the anchor digs into the bottom.  If all goes well, you'll eventually feel a jerk and move no more.  This time, however, the boat kept moving - clearly, the anchor wasn't set.

Three more times we lowered the anchor only to feel it skid along the sandy bottom. It was a frustrating process for all of us, so when the anchor was finally set, we lowered the dingy and headed to shore to celebrate. (This is where sangria enters the picture!)

sangria with glassesThe boys frolicked on the beach while Dean and I ordered up our first taste of Spanish sangria from the small bar on the beach. We watched the bartender assemble all of the ingredients in a small pitcher...fruit, red wine, brandy, juices. It was the most delicious, refreshing drink I think that I have ever consumed.

As the sun began to set it was time to get back in the dingy and motor back to our safely anchored Snowcat.  As we began to pack our towels and lotion we immediately realized that our Ibiza sangria packed a punch.  We made it back to the boat safety, but with a new appreciation for the strength of sangria.

Give my sangria recipe a try and let it transport you to a sunny beach in the Mediterranean Sea. Leave a comment and rate the recipe if you make my Sangria (Snowcat Style)!

pitcher of sangria
Print Recipe

Sangria

I perfected this recipe during our travels in southern Spain aboard our sailboat, Snowcat. It is a great way to extend a bottle of wine to serve a crowd. The fruit juices and Grand Marnier can transform the cheapest wine into a masterpiece beverage.
Prep Time15 mins
Total Time15 mins
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Spanish
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 194kcal
Author: Karen

Ingredients

  • 1.5 liters red wine chilled
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • ⅓ cup brandy
  • ⅓ cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
  • ¼ cup lemon juice about the juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup superfine sugar
  • 2 cups chilled club soda
  • assorted fruit chunks for garnish

Instructions

  • Combine wine, fruit juices, brandy, Grand Mariner and sugar in a large pitcher, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add chunks of apple, orange slices, berries or other fruit to the sangria and refrigerate.  The longer the sangria chills, the more flavor the fruit chunks will absorb!
  • To serve, use a large wooden spoon to hold back the fruit while you pour sangria into each glass.
  • Spoon some of the chunks of fruit into each glass then top with club soda (about ¼ cup per glass). Serve 

Notes

This sangria can be made without club soda, but I prefer the lighter calories of this version.  If you forego the club soda, be advised that this recipe can pack a punch when consumed full strength.
1
« Canning with Confidence
Mexican Street Corn Salad »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Welcome to my blog! I'm Karen Massey and I love food and travel. In this space I share (mostly) healthy recipes and tales from life on a sailboat and from our home in The Boat (Steamboat Springs, CO).
Still curious?

Sign up here!

Enter your email address and we'll notify you when we post something new.

Popular Posts

bowls of Red Lentil Soup with a swirl of yogurt sauce on top

Red Lentil Soup with Yogurt Sauce

Green Salad with Apples, Pomegranate Seeds and Maple Dressing

Salad Greens with Apple, Pomegranate Seeds and Maple Dressing

best beef tacos

The Best Beef Tacos

Spinach Yogurt Dip

Spinach Yogurt Dip

slices of key lime pie with ocean in the background

Light Key Lime Pie

Search

Footer

Instagram feed

life_in_the_boat

Twenty years ago today our family completed our go Twenty years ago today our family completed our goal of sailing across the Atlantic Ocean. The four of us and an additional French sailor sailed 2850 miles. We sailed from the Canary Islands, making landfall in Tobago 16 days later. We had nothing but water, wind and each other…all of the ingredients for the happiest of memories!
Anymore it’s hard to find time to connect with o Anymore it’s hard to find time to connect with our boys.  Fortunately we were able to meet up in Sedona for some mountain biking and a belated 30th birthday celebration for Jack & Ben.  Feeling blessed
Thirty years ago I became a parent… my how time Thirty years ago I became a parent… my how time flies! These two energetic boys turned into amazing men.  I am so proud to be their mother! Happy birthday Jackson & Ben!
In celebration of Dean’s 70th birthday we commis In celebration of Dean’s 70th birthday we commissioned our old sailboat with the whole family. A magical time for a special event. Happy birthday my love!
Getting my sweet cream cold brew fix! Getting my sweet cream cold brew fix!
This just happened- Dr. Ben Massey!! He will begin This just happened- Dr. Ben Massey!! He will begin his residency in internal medicine next month in Tucson, AZ. We are so pleased and proud of our son!
We had a fabulous time in the Bahamas, but decided We had a fabulous time in the Bahamas, but decided that it’s time for a new chapter. After 6 years of sailing Snowcat II we brought her to Saint Augustine and turned her over to her new owners. Our land-based adventures from The Boat (Steamboat) will continue…stay tuned!
Whether you’re on a boat or experiencing a pande Whether you’re on a boat or experiencing a pandemic- sometimes you need to DIY yogurt. Here’s my go to yogurt recipe using a thermos and ingredients that you can store in your kitchen or boat galley.
Powell Cay- our newest discovery in the Abacos Powell Cay- our newest discovery in the Abacos
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 life in the boat