A Spicy Sangria for Halloween: Cursebreaker
A bold, seductive and spicy sangria, Cursebreaker is a sage, blueberry, ginger and pepper recipe perfect for halloween. Whether you’ve broken a mirror or spilled salt, this red wine sangria is just the recipe to shake off bad vibes.
This recipe is part of my Practical Magic-Inspired recipe series and is possible thanks to Phantom Wine’s sponsorship. Must be 21+. Please drink responsibly. Use code WITCHCRAFT at phantomwine.com for $1 shipping on your order, up to 1 case. Check out other recipes in the series, like my Midnight Wine Margaritas.
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A Recipe Inspired by Curse Breaking
From breaking a mirror for 7 years bad luck to walking under a ladder, curses (and curse breaking) has long roots in cross-cultural folk traditions. These are the superstitions we grow up with—the myths and legends that lace our childhood, the traditions that help us shake a sense of bad luck when we grow older.
That is where the inspiration from for my spicy sangria recipe, Cursebreaker, came from. In Practical Magic 2 (The Book of Magic), the Owens family of witches sets out to once and for all break their generational curse. Whether you walk the witch’s path or not, we all encounter generational patterns at some point. And those brave enough to dream of a better future often go against the grain to break them.
Using ingredients baked into curse breaking traditions, Cursebreaker is rooted in protection magic and lore—perfect for a halloween sangria, too.
Let’s get into the ingredients you will need and why.
Ingredients
For this recipe, I wanted every ingredient steeped in folk properties and lore. Here are the ingredients, and why:
Disclaimer: I discuss the traditional associations of ingredients in magical folklore as the inspiration for why I chose them in this drink for informational and entertainment purposes only. I do not make any claims regarding their use.
- Sage (Culinary) is widely popularized today as a ritual for clearing. Its herbal notes help balance the berry and heat of this spicy sangria.
- Ginger. With its fiery bite, ginger is used in folk traditions to clear stagnancy and in matters of personal power. Its spice layers with the upfront heat of the pepper.
- Jalapeno (or alternatively, Red Fresno for more of a garden flavor). Dried red chilis may also work and make a great addition to a spooky halloween sangria recipe (for inspiration, check out my Black Heart recipe that uses dried red peppers). In folk traditions, the pepper’s heat is often used to banish and ward away unwanted energy.
- Blueberry adds to the fruity notes of the Phantom Red. In magic, it is thought of for psychic protection.
- Agave. When you envision sangria, you don’t usually grab the agave. But it truly makes a lovely and easy sweetener in cocktails with red wine. The agave plant myth is that of goddess Mayahuel, whose body turns into the agave plant—perfect for revival around halloween and as a symbol of resilience.
- Lime is used in modern magic for hex-breaking spells. (And of course, we need a citrus to balance the sweet!)
- Red Wine. A sangria needs wine! I add red wine as a symbol of the physical, being that the grape skins are left on in its creation. It is also often used as a representation of blood in Catholic traditions, which is perfect for a halloween recipe and reflection on generational heritage.
Frequently Asked Questions
(Don’t see yours? Ask away in the comments!).
I designed this recipe with a luscious berry red, Phantom Wine’s Proprietary Red. It makes for great cocktails with red wine, like my Moonshadow Mulled Wine and Shadow Sangria (coming soon). I asked Phantom for code to share with you. You can pay only $1 for shipping using code WITCHCRAFT at phantomwine.com (limitations: up to 1 case).
If you’re serving a halloween party, I can see why you may want to batch the recipe! Here are some tips & suggestions:
A typical wine bottle as 750 ml, which is about ~25.4 ounces. Since our single serve uses 3 ounces, to use a full bottle of wine you’ll want to multiply the blueberry, lime, and agave by ~8.46 and round down to the nearest ounce increment (such as 1/4, 1/2, 3/4). With the agave, start with less and add more to taste.
Since you’ll likely make this spicy sangria in advance, herbal and spiced ingredients like ginger, jalapeño and herbal sage will infuse over time in the refrigerator. So increase by a few pieces, but not a lot.
These days, nonalcoholic wine is not just easy to find, but delicious (with the right brand). You’ll want to find a de-alcoholized red wine (which means the alcohol is removed) compared to nonalcoholic or alcohol-free red wines which are just blended juice and not always so great. From there, you’ll want to be reserved with adding the sweetener, and may find you need to make up for some body in the recipe.
You may be also able to try red grape juice, but just note it will naturally be sweeter so be reserved.
If you find a balance that works, share in the comments below!
Recipe
Cursebreaker – A Spicy Sangria for Halloween
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In your shaker, place chili. Break in fresh ginger, invigorating with its scent.
- Add in fresh culinary sage and agave. Muddle the ginger, sage, and chili into the agave to incorporate flavors well.
- Squeeze lime, then pour in Red wine. Add ice and shake.
- Strain the recipe over ice into desired glass. Alternatively, you can dump the drink but note that it will contain fresh sage and ginger pieces, which may be unsavory to bite into.
- Garnish with sage sprig. For spooky effect, safely use kitchen torch to lightly burn the end of the sage garnish for smoke.
Video
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