Sangrita Recipe

Before you start

Sangrita is an alcohol-free chaser served in a small glass next to a glass of tequila, the two sipped in turns. The name means little blood, a nod to its red color. In and around Jalisco, many versions get that color from pomegranate and chile with no tomato at all; tomato-based sangritas are now common in many places, including the U.S. This recipe takes that route: tomato for savory body, plenty of fresh orange and lime for brightness, and hot sauce and chile for a clean, building heat.

The point is contrast, so it should taste sharper and spicier than a breakfast juice. Season generously with salt, because the chaser has to stand up to an aged or peppery tequila. Chill it for at least an hour; the flavors knit together and the heat rounds out as it rests.

Ingredients

• 240 ml (1 cup) tomato juice — good quality, low sodium if possible
• 180 ml (¾ cup) fresh orange juice — about 3 oranges
• 60 ml (¼ cup) fresh lime juice — about 2 limes
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) pomegranate juice — or 15 ml grenadine
• 2 to 3 tsp Mexican-style hot sauce — such as Valentina
• ½ tsp fine salt — to taste
• ¼ tsp ground chile piquín or cayenne
• 1 tbsp grated white onion — optional, strained out

Method

1. Juice the oranges and limes. Strain out seeds but leave some pulp, which gives sangrita a pleasant body.
2. Whisk the tomato, orange, lime and pomegranate juices together in a pitcher.
3. Add 2 teaspoons hot sauce, the salt, chile and grated onion, if using. Whisk well and taste: it should be bright, salty and noticeably spicy, with no single juice taking over.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. If you used onion, strain it out before serving so only its savory edge remains.
5. Taste again once cold, since chilling dulls salt and heat. Adjust with more hot sauce or a pinch of salt.
6. Pour into small glasses, about 60 ml each, and serve very cold next to tequila or on its own.

Tips for success

• Sip, do not shoot. Sangrita is meant to be alternated slowly with the tequila to refresh the palate.
• A blanco tequila pairs with a brighter, more citrusy sangrita; reposado can take more tomato and spice.
• For a smoky version, use a pinch of chipotle powder in place of the piquín.

Substitutions

Tomato juice

Leave it out and increase the orange and pomegranate juices for a Jalisco-style, fruit-only sangrita that is sweeter and lighter.

Orange juice

Sour orange juice, if you can find it, makes it more tart and aromatic. Reduce the lime by half.

Hot sauce

A fresh serrano chile, blended and strained, gives a greener, sharper heat with no vinegar.

Variations

Bandera

Serve three small glasses side by side: lime juice, blanco tequila and sangrita, which echo the green, white and red of the Mexican flag.

Sangrita cooler

Pour 90 ml over ice in a tall glass and top with soda water for a longer, alcohol-free drink.

Troubleshooting

It tastes like plain tomato juice

There is not enough acid or salt. Add more lime and another pinch of salt, then chill and taste again.

The heat is harsh rather than warm

Too much cayenne. Dilute with more orange juice and rely on hot sauce, which has a rounder flavor.

It separates in the glass

Fresh juice and tomato settle naturally. Stir or shake the pitcher right before pouring.

Storage

Keep sangrita covered in the refrigerator and drink it within 2 days; fresh citrus juice loses its brightness and can pick up off flavors after that. Do not leave it out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Safety notes

Fresh-squeezed, unpasteurized juice can carry harmful bacteria, so use pasteurized juice for young children, older adults, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system. If you pour tequila alongside, a 45 ml (1½ oz) serving of 40% ABV tequila is about one U.S. standard drink; serve it only to adults of legal drinking age.