TL;DR
When to Drink a Black Sangria Mocktail
-Fall
–Halloween
-Samhain
The Functional Benefit of this Non-Alcoholic Sangria
–Heart Health
The Magickal Intent of this Halloween Sangria Mocktail
–Fertility
The History Behind the Original Sangria
The first sangrias were heavily watered-down mixes of wine, water, herbs and spices. The Romans added alcohol to kill off the bacteria in the water, and the remaining ingredients were meant to disguise the terrible taste of cheap wine. It’s believed that Spaniards introduced sangria to the Americas in the early 1800s, and it was officially documented as appearing at the 1964 New York World’s Fair when the pavilion of Spain served it from their kiosk.
Americans embraced the Spanish cocktail, which has become a modern-day wine punch, often involving other alcohol and fruit, most commonly citrus. There’s no standard recipe in Spain, so this is a fun one to make entirely your own. What’s important is to let the fruit macerate so the wine can soak up all the delicious flavors. You can expedite the process by muddling the citrus, but if you do that, keep whatever fruit you’re using for garnish separate and unmushed so your drink is still aesthetically pleasing. Ideally, strive to let the flavors meld overnight.
What Makes this Black Sangria Mocktail “Functional?”
Red wine has long been touted as heart-healthy. Antioxidants present in the wine may increase HDL—aka good cholesterol—to help prevent coronary artery disease. Given that the non-alcoholic red wine in this fall sangria mocktail comes with all the good-for-you benefits with none of the downsides, there’s no better base for a beverage that supports cardiovascular health.
This makes sense, of course, because grapes themselves boost heart health in several ways. One cup of grapes contains 6% of the DV for potassium, a mineral necessary for maintaining healthy blood pressure levels. Additionally, diets high in resveratrol—an antioxidant present in grapes—such as the Mediterranean diet, have been shown to decrease cholesterol.
Plums and prunes have also been studied for their potential to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, which are major risk factors for heart disease. These positive effects are likely due to their potassium and antioxidants, as well as their high fiber content.
Figs have also been shown to improve blood pressure and blood fat levels, but more human studies are needed to fully understand the mechanism behind these findings.
The honey and citrus in this recipe lend their own functional properties to the mix, making this black sangria a heavy hitter when it comes to caring for your precious ticker.
Non-Alcoholic Black Sangria’s Magickal Correspondence
Representing fertility, money and dreams, grapes appear in the de-alcoholized wine and the garnish. Whether you wish to become physically fertile or simply ripe with creative ideas, grape energy provides a solid foundation for fertility magick.
Pomegranate also corresponds with fertility due to its numerous seeds, along with creativity and money. Multiply pomegranate’s effects by adding the juice while visualizing all the money you can make from your fertile creativity. In contemporary folklore, pomegranates are believed to bring luck if you eat the first few seeds after making a wish.
Plums add good ol’ sex energy, which can stimulate both the body and the mind to create. Prunes, or dried plums, are considered aphrodisiacs and used to be bar food in Elizabethan brothels. Then we come to figs, which just look suggestive, don’t they? The Greeks ate them to aid strength, energy, sexual desire and fertility. If you can find fresh figs and fig preserves, you can really bring the big guns to this fertility potion.
Three kinds of citrus contribute love vibrations, representing the boundless love you’ll have for your future progeny, whether human or artistic. Cinnamon brings fiery oomph to all magick, and it adds a flavor complexity we really enjoy. If you decide to go all out and rim your glass, the honey and freeze-dried blackberry powder are the fertility-drawing cherry on top.
The lusty allure of this black sangria mocktail comes from its rich color, making it perfect for serving at your Halloween or Samhain gathering. The name sangria comes from the Spanish word sangre or blood, and the red of the pomegranate juice symbolizes the blood of life that will start anew after the dormancy of winter. Because this recipe incorporates fruits from the shoulder season between late summer and early fall, you can enjoy this sangria mocktail all autumn long.
There’s no reason to stop there, though! This refreshing twist on traditional sangria can be enjoyed whenever you need a creative boost or desire to plant seeds for a successful new project. You can even work this type of magick during the day to channel the sun’s powerful association with creativity and self-expression.
How to Use This Halloween Sangria Mocktail in Your Magickal Practice
Halloween is a potent time for spellcasting due to the thinning of the veil between the living and spirit realms. Few can deny that the air on October 31st feels extra magickal, and therefore, it’s the perfect time to call on our forebears for wisdom and guidance. Halloween is associated with the end of the harvest season and the Witch’s New Year, reminding us that every ending in our lives provides compost that enriches the soil for a new, fruitful beginning.
Begin your spell by writing a detailed petition outlining your desire. If it’s a child, talk about what you will do together, how you will read to him/her (it’s okay to specify your preference—your wish, your rules), how you’ll pass down family traditions, take them on adventures, cook their favorite foods, etc. Really marinate in the feeling of family togetherness.
If you wish to be the recipient of lightning bolts of inspiration, write about how these will impact your life and career trajectory. Will you become a sought-after expert and thought leader? A best-selling author? A highly paid keynote speaker? Imagine yourself at the pinnacle of creative success and let your heightened emotions send shivers up your spine.
When you have finished writing your petition, fold it in half twice, folding toward you each time.
Prep your ingredients so everything is at hand. Begin the spell by saying: I call upon the nascent moon to take this seed of desire and manifest my will.
Place your petition underneath the pitcher or bowl into which you’ll be mixing your fertility potion. As you add ingredients, focus on each one’s energetic contribution to the spell. When you have added all your ingredients to the pitcher, stir clockwise to draw good things to you.
Serve your sangria in a wineglass, leaving the citrus and cinnamon sticks in the pitcher to marinate. Garnish with slices of plum, fig and a few black grapes. As you sip your sangria, visualize the outcome you wrote about in your petition. At the peak of your visualization, when you are filled to the brim with joyful emotions, say:
By earth below and sky above,
I call on life and light and love.
With hopeful heart and spirit free,
May fertile ground take root in me.
Where dreams are sown, let life arise,
With beauty, strength and joyful cries.
Within a fortnight, at this hour,
Let me reap my thriving flower.
So mote it be.
Non-Alcoholic Sangria for Fertility
Equipment
- Pitcher or large bowl with a pour spout
- 8 oz mason jar, with lid or a bowl and whisk
Ingredients
Drink Base
- 1 bottle de-alcoholized red wine (fertility, money, dreams)
- 2-3 tbsp fig preserves, heaping (fertility, strength, sexual desire)
Mixers
- 16 oz pomegranate juice (fertility, creativity, money)
- 1 lemon, sliced into rounds (love, purification)
- 1 lime, sliced into rounds (love, protection)
- 1 orange, sliced into rounds (love, prosperity)
- 1-2 sticks cinnamon, optional (success, love, abundance)
- soda water, to taste, optional
Garnish
- Black figs, sliced vertically (fertility, energy, sexual desire)
- Black grapes (fertility, money, dreams)
- Black plums, sliced into crescents (stimulation, sex)
- 1 tbsp honey, optional, for rimming the glass (fertility, sweetness, prosperity)
- 10 freeze-dried blackberries, crushed, optional, for rimming the glass
Instructions
- Add 2-3 heaping tablespoons of fig preserves to a small jar or container, depending on your desired level of sweetness. Add 1/2 cup of dealcoholized wine, replace the lid and shake vigorously until the preserves are well blended. Pour mixture into a large pitcher.
- Add lemon, lime and orange slices. Gently muddle, bruising the fruit rather than pulverizing it.
- Add remaining wine.
- Add half as much pomegranate juice as there is wine.
- Add cinnamon sticks, if desired.
- Stir and chill, an hour is good, overnight is better.
- If rimming your glass, place 8-10 freeze-dried blackberries into a bowl and pulverize into a fine powder with the muddler. Place a small amount of honey on a plate, dip the rim of each glass into the honey and then into the fruit powder.
- Fill each glass halfway with ice. Add your fresh garnishes – a few slices of plum, a few fig halves and a small handful of grapes. Add sangria. Top with soda water, if desired.
