Sangrita

If there are two things alcoholic I tend to avoid, it’s Tequila and Bloody Marys, in that order. Ever since the days of yore when I retched on a room temperature shot of tequila at the bar or turned my nose at what I feel is essentially cold spicy tomato soup with booze in it, I’ve never been a fan of either of these things.

And so it wouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise that when someone offered me a bit of Sagrita (little blood en español) – which is visually identical to a Bloody Mary AND has tequila in it – the retchometer starting making loud retching noises, conjuring visions of the long ago mentioned Chelada, a filthy beer-related concoction from the bowels of Mexico (later confirmed to be awful by Sessa) with the sole saving grace of having beer and not tequila as its alcoholic ingredient.

However, while falling prey to the coaxing of said person offering the drink reassuring me “IT’S TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM ALL OF THOSE THINGS OK” (and being a degenerate drunk), I gave it a sip, and lord have mercy it was actually a damn fine drink. Previously unbeknownst to me, while Sangrita does contain quantities of tomato juice, it also contains a healthy dose of other citrus juices (orange, lime) and a heaping mess of pureed jalapeños – the end effect is a party in your mouth hole while simultaneously masking *and* complimenting the tequila flavor. It’s like, magical. Not something I’d stroll into a bar and order, but it would probably make a pretty interesting brunch drink at any restaurant with Juevos Rancheros on the menu.

So here’s a recipe I found for the stuff, give it a shot (serves 4 regular people or 2 lushes):

edit: @spacemanandy has the untested yet amazing sounding idea of substituting watermelon for tomato in this recipe. This must be tried.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped tomatoes (or 2 cups tomato juice)
  • 3 jalapeños, stemmed seeded and chopped
  • juice from 2 oranges, 3 limes
  • 1/3 cup tequila
  • 1/4 cup sugar

To Prepare

  • Puree tomatoes and jalapeños in a food processor until smooth. Add orange juice, lime juice, tequila and sugar and stir thoroughly.
  • Pour into a glass and garnish with a lime wedge or jalapeño slice, drink it.
  • BONUS: For extra awesomeness, pour the drink into an ice cube tray, freeze, and crush the frozen product for a slushy booze type thing.

Enjoy!

2 thoughts on “Sangrita

  1. All right sir. Although I am violently opposed to cold/uncooked tomatoes, I may have to try this. But you will have to be around. If i puke, it will be on you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *