Snagria (sic)
Sangria remains the only drink that requires the right external conditions for it to be enjoyed. It is not a go-to drink of choice. Sangria is for sunny, relaxing afternoons after long days. For that reason, Sangria is attached to great memories more-so that other drinks (with the exception of sparking wine, perhaps).
Traditionally, recipes would act as a microcosm for cultural and culinary access. ranging from basic red wine and fruit, to more exotic and luxurious recipes fortified with spirits and magnified with a wider variety of fruit and spices. The recipe chosen succinctly encapsulates the everyday Australian take on a deeply traditionally Spanish drink.
Recipe: Mix a ratio of 1:1 bottles of red wine and chilled Schweppes Agrum. Add any chopped fruit and/or spirits. Suggested addition: soak diced fruit in spirit of choice (Brandy is most authentic) overnight for some extra intrigue.
This basic, bastardised rendition of Sangria is accessible and easy for the masses. This version is easy the first time you make it, and it only gets easier. As such, few challenges or joys were met in the preparation for the Fair (other than the joy of listening to Eurovision 2014 to set the tone).
The drink was well received, and despite concerns of overcatering, the 5lt were all consumed through the course of the fair. My peers were shocked to discover how inauthentic the recipe was. To me, this highlighted the concurrent but not mutually inclusive concepts of 'good' and 'authentic'. For the Australian glass, a nation lacking in our own cuisine or flavour profile, it is easy for us to take up other cuisines and mould to our own desires. Such a recipe would be dismissed instantly in Spain, but Australians (in my experience at the fair and on other occasions) are willing and eager to celebrate its simplicity and flavour. It asks us to reconsider what is 'good' when you're wanting to Treat Euro Self.
