Sangria El Tampa

This Tampa-style sangria goes big. Fresh-squeezed orange juice, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice mixed with red wine, warm spices, and a splash of lemon-lime soda. It’s more fruit punch than the typical Spanish sangria, and it’s built to serve a crowd.

The simple syrup step is what keeps the sugar from settling at the bottom. Boiling water dissolves the sugar completely, and mixing in the citrus juices while it’s still warm helps everything integrate into one smooth base before the wine goes in. Adding wine to a cooled mixture (never heated) preserves its flavor and alcohol.

Keep all the citrus pulp. The recipe calls for it specifically, and those bits of orange and grapefruit flesh floating in the bowl add texture and fresh fruit flavor that strained juice alone can’t match.

Pro Tips

• Use an inexpensive Chianti or Burgundy. The fresh juices and spices dominate, so there’s no point using a wine you’d drink on its own.
• Add the lemon-lime soda just before serving so it stays fizzy. Mixing it in too early lets the carbonation go flat.
• Chill thoroughly. Sangria needs to be ice-cold. A few hours in the fridge minimum, and float thin citrus slices on top for presentation.
• The cinnamon sticks double as stirrers in individual glasses.

Variations

• White sangria: Swap the red wine for a dry white and use all orange and grapefruit juice (skip the lemon) for a lighter, more tropical version.
• Sparkling sangria: Replace the lemon-lime soda with sparkling wine or cava for a more grown-up, brunch-worthy punch.