Have you ever found yourself three days before payday, or a month after Christmas when the bills start showing up in your mailbox, and think to yourself, ‘Who has the cash for cocktails?’ Here’s a Southern California favorite, because the
Have you ever found yourself three days before payday, or a month after Christmas when the bills start showing up in your mailbox, and think to yourself, ‘Who has the cash for cocktails?’
Here’s a Southern California favorite, because the cost of living there is not pretty. In Southern California, they call it Poor Man’s Sangria when they’re being real, or by surf-culture monikers when they want to dress it up a little. Moondoggie’s Sangria, anyone?
It’s a Southern California invention mostly because that’s where you can buy what folks like to call Two Buck Chuck at Trader Joe’s grocery stores. Two Buck Chuck is Charles B. Shaw wine that retails for $1.99. Don’t smirk. This stuff has won plenty of wine contests against wines 10 and 20 times the price.
Here on Kaua‘i, any tasty but low-cost red wine — preferably a merlot, but a pinot or a mild-mannered cab will do — can be used as the base for Poor Man’s Sangria.
The secret ingredient, and loathe as I am to plug name brands, is Hansen’s Soda, because it’s more fizzy, but less sweet than other brands. If you know of another brand or generic carbonated soda that fits that general description, go for it.
Add one bottle of low-priced red wine to a bowl or pitcher and stir in one can of Hansen’s Mandarin Lime Soda. Add ice and, if you’ve got it on hand, a cut up apple and lime slices. If you don’t have fruit, don’t worry. Voila! Poor Man’s Sangria. Trust me. Try it.
Now, many folks I have watched argue about the ingredients in the aisles at Southern California Trader Joe’s stores have sworn by Hansen’s Diet Tangerine Lime Soda. Or Hansen’s Diet Grapefruit Soda. Or Diet or Regular Kiwi Strawberry.
I’ve watched them have similar arguments at grocery stores in Texas, where there is no Trader Joe’s. In Texas, Poor Man’s Sangria fans will swear by a very low-priced wine called, yep, “Texas Red,” with the addition of half a can of no-name carbonated orange soda mixed with either half a can of ginger ale or club soda.
The secret is to go fizzy, but not too sweet, with your carbonated beverage.
If you don’t like your sangria wine-y, make it 1 1/2 cans or two cans instead of one can of soda. You can also add berries or orange slices.
If it’s the day after payday, some folks will add a dash of fresh-squeezed orange juic, or they might soak the fruit in a half-cup of rum or add Triple Sec to snazz up their low-cost drink. Experiment.
