Answer: yes. Go on, try it. For science.
Happy new year, readers! I hope you had a lovely break and that 2020 brings you great things.
This sangria made with ale is brought to us by Jerry Thomas, in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks. It's a simple recipe, and very different from the wine and fruit based sangrias we're used to in the 21st century. In Jerry Thomas's book sangria, or sangaree as he spelled it, refers to a group of drinks made by flavouring alcoholic beverages with sugar and nutmeg. There's no fruit or Rioja wine to be found anywhere in the How to Mix Drinks sangria section.
Sangria as we know it today first appeared in 1964, at the New York City World Fair. By the mid 20th century the whole concept of what a cocktail should taste like had changed significantly, which is a subject I plan to explore in a future post. But today, let's explore what sangria tasted like in the 1860s.
The sugar and nutmeg really accentuate the ale's caramel malt flavours. However, it's not particularly sweet and still recognizably beer. It tastes like ale with a very rich, sweet malt base, and if you didn't know it had sugar in it, you probably wouldn't guess. The nutmeg works surprisingly well and gives the beverage pleasant spicy overtones. All up, it's an interesting and enjoyable way to serve ale.
It pairs well with salty snacks such as olives, chips, and tomato based dips.
My sangaree is made with APA, and I think you do need to use something with a strong malt base like an APA or brown ale, not a lager or IPA. I also recommend using brown sugar, not white, because white sugar won't give you the same caramel flavours. Highly refined white sugar was a luxury product in 1862, so I suspect the sugar Jerry Thomas used was closer to what we would think of as brown or raw sugar.
Happy new year, readers! I hope you had a lovely break and that 2020 brings you great things.
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| Ale sangaree, 1860s style |
This sangria made with ale is brought to us by Jerry Thomas, in his 1862 book How to Mix Drinks. It's a simple recipe, and very different from the wine and fruit based sangrias we're used to in the 21st century. In Jerry Thomas's book sangria, or sangaree as he spelled it, refers to a group of drinks made by flavouring alcoholic beverages with sugar and nutmeg. There's no fruit or Rioja wine to be found anywhere in the How to Mix Drinks sangria section.
Sangria as we know it today first appeared in 1964, at the New York City World Fair. By the mid 20th century the whole concept of what a cocktail should taste like had changed significantly, which is a subject I plan to explore in a future post. But today, let's explore what sangria tasted like in the 1860s.
The sugar and nutmeg really accentuate the ale's caramel malt flavours. However, it's not particularly sweet and still recognizably beer. It tastes like ale with a very rich, sweet malt base, and if you didn't know it had sugar in it, you probably wouldn't guess. The nutmeg works surprisingly well and gives the beverage pleasant spicy overtones. All up, it's an interesting and enjoyable way to serve ale.
It pairs well with salty snacks such as olives, chips, and tomato based dips.
My sangaree is made with APA, and I think you do need to use something with a strong malt base like an APA or brown ale, not a lager or IPA. I also recommend using brown sugar, not white, because white sugar won't give you the same caramel flavours. Highly refined white sugar was a luxury product in 1862, so I suspect the sugar Jerry Thomas used was closer to what we would think of as brown or raw sugar.
Interesting. I did not realize that sangria was such a recent invention before.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised too. It seems to have existed for a very long time in Spain as a punch made from wine, with brandy and fruit garnish, but the modern form of it that we're familiar with is a recent invention. Apparently it was invented as a marketing strategy to promote Spanish wines, and it backfired a bit because people started associating Spanish wine with cheap students' cocktails.
DeleteHi Stella,
ReplyDeleteI am trying to get in touch with you regarding your Minoan Kilt that I would be interested in discussing with you and illustrating in a forthcoming article with your permission. Please get in touch with me by message at my page on www.academia.edu or email at berrjones@aol.com. Many thanks, Bernice Jones