Zurracapote

Zurracapote (Navarra Spiced Wine)

A traditional Navarrese sangría-style drink made by steeping citrus, cinnamon and fruit in red wine along with a splash of anise liqueur. It is lightly spiced, gently sweet and best served very cold on a hot afternoon.

Prep

15 min

Total

15 min

Serves

6 to 8 drinks (about 1.5 L / 2½ pints)

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •1000 ml (about 1 qt) dry red wine, a young, fruity Spanish red such as Garnacha or a young Rioja; avoid anything overly tannic or oaky
• •100 ml (scant ½ cup) aguardiente or anise liqueur (pacharán or anís), traditional recipes use local Navarra aguardiente; sweet Spanish anís is the easiest home substitute
• •75 g (⅓ cup) sugar, adjust to taste depending on the sweetness of the wine
• •1 whole lemon, unwaxed, scrubbed; sliced thin with peel on
• •1 whole orange, unwaxed, scrubbed; sliced thin with peel on
• •1 whole cinnamon stick, preferably Ceylon (canela); do not substitute ground cinnamon, which clouds the drink
• •1 whole apple, firm sweet variety such as Reineta or a crisp eating apple, cored and chopped
• •2 whole cloves, whole; do not exceed or the drink turns medicinal
• •500 g (about 1 lb) ice, to chill and serve

Steps

1. 1 Wash the lemon and orange thoroughly under hot water to remove any wax; slice them thinly, including the peel. Core the apple and chop it into roughly 1.5 cm (½ in) pieces, leaving the skin on for color.
2. 2 In a large glass bowl or ceramic pitcher (do not use metal, which can react with the citrus and taste bitter), combine the sliced citrus, chopped apple, the cinnamon stick and the 2 whole cloves.
3. 3 Pour the sugar over the fruit and toss gently so the slices are coated. Let sit for 5 minutes so the sugar begins to draw juice from the fruit.
4. 4 Pour the red wine over the fruit and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 1 minute of stirring.
5. 5 Stir in the aguardiente or anise liqueur.
6. 6 Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight (12 to 24 hours), so the cinnamon and citrus oils infuse into the wine.
7. 7 Remove the bowl from the fridge and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean pitcher, discarding the solids (or leaving a few apple slices back in for presentation, if you like).
8. 8 Add the ice to the pitcher or to individual glasses and stir. Taste and adjust with a little more sugar or a splash of water if the wine is very strong.
9. 9 Serve very cold in wine glasses or tumblers, garnished with a thin orange wheel and a small cinnamon stick if desired. Drink the same day it is made, once strained, as the fruit will continue to ferment.
10. 10 Safety note: because this is an uncooked wine infusion containing alcohol, it is not safe for children, pregnant people or anyone avoiding alcohol. Keep refrigerated while steeping and discard if it shows any fizz, sourness or mold beyond the second day, as the sugar and fruit will start to ferment further.