‘It shouldn't work... but it does!’ The sangria hack that'll blow your mind

Sangria is trending... and in our eyes, there's no better way to drink it than this.

Creamy-sangria-article

Some members of the taste team were surprised to discover this morning that searches for sangria recipes are currently up 50% on Google (among other 90s-centric drinks like mojitos and pina coladas). 

But full disclosure: I am, in fact, one of the many Aussies who found myself searching for the ultimate sangria recipe over the last 24 hours (I’m planning for Easter!) As I browsed through various classic sangria recipes, I realised that I wanted something a little more unique and memorable…. and was very happy to be reminded of our senior food editor Elisa Pietrantonio’s crazy-yet-delicious spin on the traditional drink.

Say hola to our 3-ingredient creamy sangria

Red wine and ice-cream? It shouldn’t work… but it does! Earlier this year, Taste’s senior food editor Elisa Pietrantonio was inspired by a red wine float she had seen on Facebook which she said “had me instantly repulsed yet intrigued at the same time”.

But a genius idea was born.

“We pair wine with soft cheeses and it’s kind of similar to the ice-cream and port combination my Italian grandfather loved, so why couldn’t it work with red wine?!” explained Elisa. 

Elisa’s sangria hack: like a spider for grown-ups

If there’s one drink that reminds me of summers as a kid, it has to be a spider (some call it a float): the weird but oh-so-good combo of soft drink (IMO it has to be creaming soda, but feel free to debate me on this), with a huge scoop of ice-cream that creates web-like melting effect when it hits the soft drink.  

Elisa and I decided there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a spider on any day, at any age – and so, the creamy sangria was born.

What does creamy sangria taste like?

When Elisa first tried her concoction, she was pleasantly surprised at just how delicious it was (exact words: “shooketh to the core”). The combo of red wine and vanilla ice-cream – and her fun addition of canned fruit salad which seemed to seal the deal.

While not technically sangria, this drink is a fantastic ode to the beverage that hails from the sunny Iberian Peninsula. Elisa said: “The creaminess of the vanilla ice-cream balances the tannins of the red wine and the fruit adds a touch of sweetness.

“The combination is refreshing, creamy, sweet and a little bit tangy.” Of course anything with ice-cream in it also means it doubles as dessert. Perfecto. 

A food editor’s top tips when you make creamy sangria

When choosing what kind of red wine to use for this sangria, Elisa says it’s best to use a fruitier red wine as it pairs nicely with the ice-cream and fruit. “Good quality vanilla ice-cream will make all the difference and feel free to use fresh fruits, if canned fruit is not your thing,” she adds. 

Of course now we’re well into autumn, so canned is probably your best bet – or you could always give the drink a berry twist (they’re often on special in the supermarket this time of year).

Creamy sangria around the world

While a drink of this sort may be new to you and me, variations of creamy sangria really do exist all over the world. In Chile, terremoto is a cocktail that consists of white wine, pineapple ice-cream and grenadine. 

Going further north, Mexico omits the fruit, only mixing the wine and ice-cream (similar to the USA’s red wine float) and in Germany, they have a punch consisting of sparkling wine, vodka, ice cream, fruit and juice called schlammbowle – meaning ‘mud punch’. 

But that’s another story to tell the next time sangria is trending.

Originally published as ‘It shouldn't work... but it does!’ The sangria hack that'll blow your mind