Drinks of Mexico – Sangrita

“Every great tequila deserves a great sangrita.”

The name says it all: ‘Un completo.’ Order a tequila completo, and you will be served a cabellito (pony glass) of your specified tipple along with a matching glass of sangrita; the tangy, spicy red concoction that ‘completes’ the tequila.

In Mexico, sangrita is the traditional partner for tequila, a compliment and a foil to tequila’s distinctive taste. Sangrita can smooth out the bite of a freshly distilled joven or accent the subtle flavors and aromas of a more mature reposada. Experts advise you to take a sip of tequila, then a sip of sangrita—to cleanse and refresh the palate—followed by another sip of tequila and so on, and so no... (it’s a good thing that sangrita is also known to ward off hangovers)

Like tequila itself, sangrita is said to have originated in Jalisco, and the stories of how it was created are almost as colorful as the beverage. This one, attributed to the great-grandson of an Jaliscan restaurant owner, is a favorite, “Don Jose Sanchez took a bag of oranges, some salt and some ground red arbol peppers with him when he would go out on his canoe on Lake Chapala with his friends to drink [his potent, homemade] tequila. He later had his wife squeeze the oranges and add the salt and chile to it and put it in a bottle for convenience on the canoe rides. The red color was later added to make it look more attractive.”

If you go along with this story, then the distinguished gentlemen bobbing about in a canoe were chasing their tequila with nothing more than a mix of tart juice and fiery chile. Many purists swear that is all that is needed for a ‘true’ sangrita, and sneer at more elaborate concoctions.

However, even the original brew admitted to using a colorant: grenadine syrup, to intensify the red and add extra sweetness. Modern recipes can get much more complex, usually adding tomato juice to a blend of fruit juices and grenadine and tossing in everything from lashings of hot sauces, horseradish, soy sauce or Magi seasoning to minced jalapeno, grated onion and even diced celery (that would probably be better off on a salad bar).

So, which concoction is best? Is there one definitive sangrita recipe? Not likely. Just as every palate is unique, every tequila has it’s own personality and it’s up to you to discover the perfect match. It’s a tough assignment; Mexico produces over 800 certified brands of tequila and there are even more recipes for sangrita. Just remember—sip, savor, sip, savor, and so on...

Ps. If your not a fan of neat tequila, sangrita makes a lively mixer or an effective hair-of-the-dog breakfast beverage if you forgot the original technique.