Sangrita compliments tequila when sipped alternately – it makes for a wonderful balance of fresh and fruity flavours with strong and fiery ones. Sangrita by itself does not have any alcohol content. There are many recipes for Sangrita, but most of them contain these main ingredients: tomato juice, orange juice, lime juice and pepper sauce.
Traditionally, Sangrita is sipped with a shot of tequila blanco or reposado. It can also be mixed with the tequila in a single glass. A shot of tequila and Sangrita served in separate glasses is known as a “completo”.
Many believe Sangrita was born in the state of Jalisco – and, of course, as Punta Mita-Rentals is located near the border of Jalisco and Nayarit, I’d say they were probably correct. Jalisco is the only state in Mexico where tequila can be legally produced anywhere in the state so it makes sense that this great accompaniment would come from the same area.
In my book, the real benefit of drinking Sangrita is the vitamin C that you are imbibing which – when consuming large quantities of tequila – is a major personal conservation factor. Of course, I cannot find any factual evidence to back this up – even Wikipedia has not touched on the “health” factor of my summation – but I have been known to survive a good tequila celebration better than my compatriots who were not in Sangrita-swallowing mode!
You can, of course, buy a pre-made Sangrita mix in any grocery store in Mexico. To me, this is akin to buying Margarita mix in the USA – it tastes like plastic and is likely to give you a headache.
I have discovered that the tequila is best served very cold and for such I keep mine in the freezer – I recommend you do the same. Chill your shot glass and – when ready to party – pour yourself a nice, full, shot of icy Independence Day celebration.
Prepare your Sangrita in advance and leave it in the fridge or at room temperature until ready to drink alongside your tequila.
Miguel’s Smoky Sangrita
For the purposes of the three-part Bandera Mexicana Cocktail, use this as the “red part”.
- 24 oz tomato juice
- 7 oz orange juice
- 7 oz grapefruit juice (can substitute with an additional 7 oz. of orange juice)
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup agave juice (just to taste)
- 5 dashes hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 guajillo chile, or serrano pepper, stemmed, seeded, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes then finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika or cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
- Lime – wedged and sliced (for garnish and moistening glass rim)
Directions
Pour the tomato juice, orange juice, tequila, lime juice, agave, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, chile pepper, and black pepper into a pitcher. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate.
In a shallow bowl or plate, mix together the smoked paprika or cayenne and salt. Moisten the rim of the chilled shot glass with a lime wedge and dip it into the paprika-salt mixture.
Pour Sangrita into glass and garnish with a lime slice.
Serve with a shot of chilled tequila in a separate chilled shot glass.
Drink many and often!
Viva Mexico!
Miguel
Find more delicious tropical drink recipes in our Cocktail Recipe Index.
Bon vivant, gastronome and all-around great guy – Miguel Neves de Carvalho brings you the best of what Punta Mita and the surrounding area have to offer. His passions include polo, horse riding, rugby, cigars and most recently … golf.
Miguel lives in Punta Mita with his youngest son, his fiancée, Lisa, and his two dogs “Tanqueray” and “Tonica”.
He started Punta Mita-Rentals in 2012.
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Photography by Kemi Vernon. See more of her work at www.kemivernonphotography.com