White Bouquet Sangria Recipe

Prepare lychee, longan and rambutan

If using canned lychee/longan, drain and reserve 2–3 tablespoons of syrup for sweetness (counted in simple syrup quantity). If using fresh, peel and remove seeds. Halve or leave whole depending on size: halve larger lychees and rambutans to release more flavor. Place prepared fruit in a large pitcher.

Prep lemon and flowers

Thinly slice the lemon into wheels; reserve 6 slices for garnish and squeeze the juice from the remaining half into the pitcher. If using dried chrysanthemum petals, rehydrate in 2 tablespoons warm water for 5 minutes then drain; if fresh, gently rinse and pat dry. Add flowers (whole or petals) to the pitcher with fruit.

Pour the entire bottle of Marques de Riscal Verdejo into the pitcher over the prepared fruit and flowers.

Add 60 ml simple syrup (adjust to taste). If you reserved lychee syrup from canned fruit, subtract that volume from the simple syrup amount. Gently stir to combine so sugars and citrus juice distribute through the wine.

Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 2–3 hours, to allow the wine to infuse with the fruit and chrysanthemum aroma. For best flavor, refrigerate up to 6 hours but serve within 12 hours to keep flowers and fruits fresh.

Just before serving, add 6 cups of ice to the pitcher and gently pour in 500 ml chilled lemon soda to add effervescence. Stir once or twice gently to combine — do not over-stir to preserve bubbles.

Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity: if too tart, add up to 15–30 ml more simple syrup; if too sweet, add a squeeze of lemon juice or a little more chilled wine.

Ladle sangria into chilled wine glasses or tumblers. Include fruit pieces and 1 lemon wheel per glass. Garnish each glass with 1 small white chrysanthemum flower (ensure flowers are edible and pesticide-free).

Serve immediately so the soda remains fizzy. Leftovers: keep refrigerated and consume within 24 hours; add fresh soda and ice when serving again.