Neither shot nor chaser, sangrita is a savory, alcohol-free drink typically served alongside tequila. According to one origin story, it began as an early-20th-century bar snack: An enterprising woman named Doña Guadalupe Sanchez served chili-sprinkled orange slices to accompany her husband’s house-made agave spirit at their restaurant in Chapala, Jalisco. As the years went on, her creation evolved into a citrus-forward drink called sangrita del diablo, or “little blood of the devil.” In 1957, Doña Guadalupe’s son, Edmundo Sanches Nuno, created a bottled version; in 1970, it sold to the Cuervo company.
Modern sangritas take many forms, from tomato-red packaged concoctions easily mistaken for Bloody Mary mix, to homespun versions featuring fresh-squeezed juices and proprietary spice blends. “I like to use just a little tomato juice in mine for viscosity,” says Malachi Ceballos, the head bartender at Social in Fort Collins, Colorado. After experimenting with macerating fresh peppers, he ultimately landed on this piquant blend of dried cayenne, chili powder, and cracked black pepper. “You get this light spice that carries through, so each sip of sangrita has a later, longer finish.”
Sipping sangrita alongside a neat pour of tequila is a slow, almost meditative process. The juicy citrus and nuanced heat offset the earthy, vegetal notes of the spirit—Ceballos likes to pair his sangrita with a reposado—and both gain complexity as you sip. “At the end of the day, it’s all about appreciating the tequila and having something savory to complement it,” says Ceballos. “It’s such a great way to get creative at the bar.”
