You Can Make Delicious Sangria Out of Ingredients from 7-Eleven for less than P800

There have been a number of human inventions that have made a big impact on how we live. Cellphones, drive-through windows, and indoor plumbing are just some of the marvels that have altered the way we go about our daily lives. One of these life-changing innovations is the unassuming convenience store.

Now located in almost every neighborhood, the convenience store has become a part of our everyday lives. It’s the place we go to for a quick bite, to charge our phones in an unfamiliar location, meet up to have a few beers and to buy stuff for emergencies, like during natural and manmade disasters, bouts of extreme laziness, heavy rains, being too hot or whatever. It’s also transformed from a glorified grocery or sari-sari store to a carinderia/eatery where there are seats for people to enjoy their food and drinks. The fact that it’s open 24 hours also has its perks. It’s not called “convenient” for nothing.

And while these establishments are the go-to places for last minute snacks and booze to bring to drunken get-togethers, we thought we’d kick it up a notch and offer some nifty alternatives to bringing bottles of cheap spirits to gatherings. I went on a convenience store raid and found some amazing ingredients I did not expect to find in 7-Eleven, to make a cocktail that you can be proud of and everyone can enjoy.

Recipe for Sangria (Serves 6 to 8)

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle red wine (there are a lot of choices in 711, depending on your budget you can choose from Carlo Rossi (P305), Pluvium (P243), Frontera (P340), or Franzia red wine (P321)
• 300 ml Emperador Brandy Light (750ml for P115) (there are other choices from the racks, you may use any bottle that fits your budget)
• ½ cup white sugar (P55)
• 2 can Del Monte Orange Juice (P31)
• 1 pc Fuji apples (if not available use green) (P35)
• 1 pc orange (P35)
• 1 pack grapes (P55)
• 120 ml lemon juice (optional) (P25 to P60)

Directions:

1. In a large pitcher or glass bowl, put in the wine, brandy, sugar, orange juice and peach juice.
2. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
3. Slice grapes in half and oranges and apples into wheels and into small triangles.
4. Put some of the fruits in the pitcher or bowl as garnish.
5. Chill in the mixture in fridge until cold.
6. Serve in short glasses or wine glasses with bits and pieces of the sliced fruits.