A sangria for every mood

White peachy sangria

Sangria is known to be a standard summer drink given how refreshing it can be. It was the feel-good factor of this tarty wine punch that propelled us to brave the downpour to sample a new sangria menu launched by Rassasy By Barcelos at the Orb, Andheri East.

Sangria is an alcoholic beverage of Spanish origin, consisting of wine, chopped fruit, and other ingredients, which are combined, allowed to mascerate and then served chilled. Its versatility is well-known - you can add anything from diced pineapple and peaches, to apples and melons, and the tipple will never let you down. But, coming up with 21 varieties of sangria takes both skill and imagination.

Traditional Portuguese Christmas sangria

Truth be told, while en route to the venue, we were hoping for the absence of any desi surprises. Think kala khatta or a gola-inspired sangria. It's not an entirely far-fetched idea if you consider the array of experimental cocktails the city has to offer. But the menu had none of it. The sangrias, in fact, were from different countries such as Portugal, New Zealand, Italy, Spain and Jamaica.

It was sweetened with red or white wine - there was only one rosé - and packaged with flavours of peaches, apples, melons and grapes. Because drinking 21 is superhuman, we picked the ones that rocked our boat. At the recommendation of the staff, we dived into our binge session with the white peachy sangria made with white wine, strawberry puree, mango-peach dices with brandy.

It was fruity and floral and could be a pitcher-perfect drink. On the other hand, the traditional Portuguese sangria with red wine, orange and apple chunks, brandy and triple sec liqueur, ordered by a friend, was more robust with a strong, citrusy tang. All sangrias are evenly priced at Rs 325 per glass.

The orange and Christmas spices sangria with red wine, dark rum, orange, grapes and cloves, is warm and comforting. Understandably, the reds were invariably stronger than their paler counterparts. However, if we had to pick a favourite, it would be the melon sangria with white wine, balls of watermelon-cantaloupe-honeydew, honey and brandy. It was aromatic, fruity and fun. Mind you, it's also slightly sweet. We'd say it's a beverage to accompany a Sunday brunch.

We avoided mixing the reds and whites initially and continued on the path until it came to a point where it did not matter. Despite the flavour complexity of the drinks, it was easy to pair with starters and mains. There was no food that did not taste good with sangria by its side, from nachos to meat ball pasta. Overall, it's a commendable effort to explore different flavour profiles.

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