Name: Cava Sangria
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons sugar; 3 tablespoons water; 20 ounces (2½ cups) cava; 2 ounces (¼ cup) brandy; 2 ounces (¼ cup) orange liqueur; ½ orange; ½ lemon; ½ lime; 4 strawberries , hulled and halved

Why This Recipe Works

Bright, fruity, sweet, and tangy, sangria is traditionally made with red wine (thus the name, which roughly translates to “having a blood-like color”), but it can also be made with white wine, along with splashes of brandy and orange liqueur. The sangria at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City, Florida, a Spanish-Cuban hotspot with more than 120 years of history, is the inspiration for this recipe. In place of red or white wine, this recipe calls for cava, a sparkling Spanish wine. And as with the sangria at the Columbia Restaurant, we use a combination of cava, brandy, orange liqueur, and citrus fruits to yield a delightfully refreshing and lively punch.

Before You Begin

Good-quality, middle-of-the-road cava, brandy, and orange liqueur will work fine here—you needn’t break the bank. Another sparkling white wine, such as prosecco, can be used in place of the cava.

Instructions

Combine sugar and water in small saucepan and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, stir until sugar is dissolved, about 30 seconds. Remove simple syrup from heat and let cool completely.

Fill large pitcher halfway with ice. Add cava, brandy, orange liqueur, and simple syrup to pitcher. Squeeze orange, lemon, and lime halves into pitcher, then add spent citrus halves to pitcher. Stir to combine.

Add 2 strawberry halves to each of 4 wine glasses, then fill with sangria. Serve immediately.