I'm a rather curious person and I usually (and annoyingly) ask a lot of questions. So while in the Maya Riviera a couple of weeks ago, I happened upon Sangrita on a bar menu.When I asked the bartender, Noe, what it was, his eyes lit up and he told me it was a traditional Mexican bebida and he promised it was very good. With that, I had my first of many Sangritas.
Similar to a Bloody Mary, Sangrita is a tequila chaser made of tomato and acidic juices and a healthy helping of muy picante chiles. Served in shot glasses with tequila, I was instructed to sip alternatively between the two drinks beginning with the tequila. Honestly, one of the tastiest, thickest drinks I've ever had!
If you're interested I found this recipe that I'm hoping to give a try (courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine):
Ingredients
1/2 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup tomato juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
- In a small skillet, toast the ancho chile over moderate heat until it begins to blister, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the ancho to a work surface to cool.
- In a blender, combine the orange, tomato and lime juices with the onion and Worcestershire sauce; crumble in the toasted ancho and puree.
- Strain through a coarse sieve. Season the sangrita with salt and pepper and chill for 20 minutes.
