Maria and I took a recent trip to The Brotherhood Winery to stock up on some wine.  Upon entering the wine shop, we were blown away by the grandest Senor Sangria display we have ever seen.   Brotherhood showcased an entire wine rack wall with Senor Sangria.  It was the most amazing feeling to see this beautiful and vibrant presentation of our product.  As you can see from the blurry picture captured below, our camera was as excited as we were.

All of the folks we have worked with at Brotherhood Winery have been extraordinarily supportive of our journey and we can’t thank you enough for assisting in the success of our company.  Times like these reaffirm that dreams really do come true.

We recently experienced the first official week of heat-wave-weather this summer. I was in the mood for something fun and cold; and, el Senor shaken over ice was not an appropriate selection given my driving responsibilities. After finishing the day’s deliveries, I stopped off to indulge in one of the greatest frozen concoctions of all time served at one of the best dessert joints …a Blizzard from Dairy Queen

So, I go about ordering my Blizzard – Peanut Butter Cup – and walk out spoon-in-hand with blissful ignorance [since NJ doesn’t have to disclose calorie content on its menu…like some states]. The voice in my head keeps whispering something about a Senor Sangria sign; then, just prior to brain freeze I realize that someone has taken notice to our fabulous magnetic creation. After I recover, I find myself in a bind.

What to do? My Blizzard has a few minutes at best until the heat takes over; but, in the end I’ll drink it if I have to. Our sign has stirred someone’s imagination, who am I to ignore this? I reward her with a lecture on Senor Sangria’s history; and, more importantly a sample to take home and try with her friends.

So, I come to find out she is a HUGE sangria fan with a home-recipe of her own that she’s been serving for YEARS. To her friends, she is also the oracle when it comes to party planning and hosting. Jackpot!

This last weekend at a party for 18, she presented both her famous recipe and our Senor Sangria. In the end we passed her test; everyone truly enjoyed our sangria! Now…no one made mention as to which was better, and I dared not ask. We were happy to collect the positive feedback. However, it does plant the seed…blind taste test challenge? Does Bobby Flay have a recipe of his own that he thinks is worthy?

It was a very exciting day when we acquired the van to replace the Pathfinder, introducing it to everyone on SenorSangria.com July 28^th.  If you read the write-up and saw the pictures, you very well may have shared our first thoughts, “Cool, we’ve got a commercial delivery van!” followed by, “Wow, that van is really white!”  It became apparent that we needed to spruce it up a bit; but, where to start? 

We quickly set out to interview and consider local artisans that would ultimately design and hand-craft a depiction of  The Story of Senor Sangria.   In our vision, the van would become a magnificent display of creativity and artistry that would captivate throngs who would gather to watch our deliveries.  We might even start seeing groups of “Sangria-Heads” that follow us from store to store. 

Then…reality sets in; and, we sit down to address exactly what we need.  A grand idea must be scaled back; yet, still deliver a message and grab attention.  We will order a magnet that will cover the side of the van.  The magnet can look something like… the bottle of Senor Sangria resting on a picnic table at the beach before a hypnotic blue ocean.  Surfers ride waves off in the distance.  Off to the side it will state “Senor Sangria.  Shake.  Pour Over Ice.  Enjoy!” 

Then…a magnet that large costs HOW MUCH?!  Our scaled-back idea clearly needs further scaling (making this process similar to ordering a computer online … build an awesome computer, see price, make computer less awesome, repeat).  We need something that identifies our company while making some sort of statement.  We settle on a size, two colors, an artistic-looking pitcher; but, we keep the statement.  We believe it hits on the uniqueness of our product.  An all-natural sangria that must be shaken to properly stir the flavors before pouring over ice for the perfect refreshment…

Shake.  Pour Over Ice, Enjoy

As most of you know, when we started Senor Sangria we sought to bring a truly unique product to market.  Our goal; to offer a premium bottled sangria that tastes like it was freshly made from the bar.  Not to say we are against the homemade recipe.  It would be hypocritical of us to have this philosophy, since the inspiration for Senor Sangria came from a sangria-from-scratch recipe.  What did making sangria from scratch teach me?  Bottom line, it takes a lot of effort, individual ingredients, and time.  What if you don’t have the desire, the ingredients, and/or the time; but, you want a refreshing glass of sangria now?

 That is the inspiration for the ultimate Senor Sangria recipe:

The Original Senor

• 1 (or more) bottle(s) of Senor Sangria – chilled or room temp
• Shake.   Pour over Ice.   Enjoy!

 It does not get any easier, or more refreshing and enjoyable, than that!  But, being creatures of curiosity, we could not stop there.  Since we are crazy busy, we outsourced this curiosity.  This next recipe comes from a bartender that we worked with recently at Food Fete, Amber.  We sent her home with some bottles and instructions to get creative.

The Amber Hurst

• Fresh Muddled Peaches
• 1-1.5 oz Johnny Walker Red or Black
• Senor Sangria to taste

 Also from Amber…

Tropic Bubbly

• Fresh Pineapple Chunks
• Senor Sangria
• Top with Champagne

 Our last recipe – for now – took inspiration from the Amber Hurst and added a southern twist.  A friend of ours, Brian, came up with this:

 Southern Senor

• Muddled Chunked Pineapple (or fresh)
• 1.5 oz Makers Mark
• 4.5 oz Senor Sangria

On August 17^th I wrote about my experience working with the folks at Spirits Unlimited in Red Bank.  During a return visit I was thrilled to see the creativity and effort they put into our display.  Right smack in the middle of their sales floor is a Senor Sangria Tiki Hut.  Who doesn’t like Tiki huts?  They stir the imagination!  I think of sitting on the beach listening to the surf off the coast of Antigua.

Bottom line, folks that are looking for Senor Sangria here will have no trouble finding it.  Quite frankly, anyone passing by has no choice but to take notice; and, maybe that is the day that someone decides to give bottled Sangria a try?   Either way, a huge shout out goes to John and the folks over at Spirits Unlimited in Red Bank.  Thank you, guys! 

If you are near Red Bank or traveling there just to see this amazing display, the address is:

50 Newman Springs Road                                  
RedBank,NJ 07701                                                          
(732) 747-4053

 They are also located on the web at http://spiritsunlimited.com/.

Senor Sangria was recently reviewed by the operators of www.BiteoftheBest.com.  This is a website run by a mom – Bonnie Leblang – and her two sons Bryan and Eric.  Bonnie is a registered dietician with degrees in food science and nutrition.  It is apparent that Bryan and Eric have lived and breathed food right along with their mom from day 1.  On BiteoftheBest.com, this family trio teams up to take an honest look  at food and beverages that they have tried and feel are worthy of review and recommendation.

We at Senor Sangria were thrilled to hear that Bonnie, Bryan, and Eric felt our product was worthy to be included in their Featured Bites section.  Follow this link to read the full review http://www.biteofthebest.com/senor-sangria/.  They stressed that this distinction is only awarded to exceptional products that they have tried, recommended, and written about as Featured Bite on BiteoftheBest.com.  We are truly honored!

Their review really captured the Senor Sangria story – the origins of our recipe and our commitment to maintaining all-natural ingredients – as well as their take on the product itself.   Bryan writes, “Created by Rick Martinez from a personal sangria recipe originally developed for friends and family, the drink still displays the passion Rick has for his craft. His dedication to quality is inspiring, and his concoction is, as well.”  Thank you!

Following a trip to Spain, Eric has since pegged sangria as his “quintessential summer drink.”  He goes on to comment

“It is refreshing, intoxicating and delicious.  The difficulty when it comes to drinking sangria is that if you don’t have the right ingredients at home, you’re usually heading to the nearest restaurant to get a pitcher – and that is not always a sure thing.  [Senor Sangria] is the closest I’ve been to being able to close my eyes and imagine I was in Spain.”

In another comment that caught our attention.  Bryan writes:

But why would I want bottled Sangria anyway? Isn’t half the fun of sangria making it?  It’s hard to argue with the enjoyable process of creating a sangria, but I’ll clue you in on something: The other half the fun is drinking sangria, and sometimes I want my enjoyment “on demand.” Pizza is also fun to make, but I order delivery often.

Perfect!  We understand that many folks – sangria lovers – out there have come up with their own recipe or have a recipe that has been passed through generations.  Sangria lovers, we don’t expect you to forget your recipes (note, we are not opposed).  Senor Sangria happily fills the gap for folks that don’t have a recipe; or, simply want great sangria on-demand without the effort.

We get goose bumps when we hear comments like this!  To the family at www.BiteoftheBest.com, thank you for taking the time to sample our product and produce such a thoughtful review.

Bite of the Best!

…a customer from MA that was visiting friends in NJ:

Comments: I’d like to say that we love your sangria.  We’re from MA and we’re visiting some friends in   Hunterdon County who love sangria as much as we do.  Our friends purchased your product (2-1.5L) at Bourbon Street Liquors and we have to tell you, it all went that evening!  Today we went back and bought six more 1.5L bottles, four of which we are taking home to Boston.  I hope you decide to make MA one of your early expansions.  In the meantime, we’ll come back to NJ periodically and look for it online. Thx.

…a customer from NY:

Comments: I tried your Sangria at my sons house in Wayne.  He bought it at Garys liquors in Wayne. It tasted so GOOD! Hopefully it’ll be all over the country very soon.  Your enthusiasm for your wine is catching, keep up the job you’re doing. Just one suggestion, don’t ever sacrifice the quality of your product and you’ll have loyal customers coming back for more… Skoal!! (that’s Swedish)

…a customer from NJ:

Comments: Wow, tasted your Sangria just this past weekend, what a treat, delicious!!  Had several other brands, but when I tasted yours it was fantabulous (new word). Thanks for a great drink. Good Luck!  You won’t need it though this is a winner.  Now you need to get your Sangria up to the Northwest of NJ.  Thanks again, we will be customers for life!!

This is the stuff that makes us excited and motivated here at Senor Sangria.  We get psyched every time a customer takes the time to tell their story (thank you, we read everything you send us!).  It reinforces our belief that Senor Sangria is establishing itself as a product that people want to come back for and tell their friends about!  We have also found each experience to be unique, but with a common theme.  These are stories about friends and family taking the time to get together, kick back, and just have a great time!  That is where Senor Sangria has its roots, a catalyst for great times!

Again, keep the comments coming!  When we hear customers tell us  “Hopefully it’ll be all over the country very soon”, that only makes us work harder to continue our expansion efforts.  Until we can get in your area, please check out SenorSangria.com to find out what online merchants are offering Senor Sangria online.

Ummm who is Jason Sadler?

Ok, maybe we aren’t famous yet but today Jason Sadler from www.iwearyourshirt.com is wearing our Senor Sangria shirt and spreading our love to his community. If you haven’t heard of Jason, he’s taken a simple concept of wearing a different company branded shirt each day of the year. In doing so he’s built a loyal list of followers. Today he’s going to have some fun with our t-shirt and a few bottles of Senor Sangria.

I want to thank his loyal followers for swinging by our site and join our every growing list of followers.

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Senor Sangria Contest!

In honor of this special event Senor Sangria is giving away one $60 American Express gift card. To enter to win all you have to do is leave a comment below with your most exciting sangria experience. At the end of the day we’ll randomly pick the winner. Please make sure you enter your email address when leaving your comment. Without it we won’t be able to contact you.

Feel free to use your gift card to purchase some Senor Sangria from our online retailers (http://senorsangria.com/buy-online/).
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Other places you can follow Senor Sangria:
Using the links below you’ll be able to continue to follow our story as we take our home sangria recipe and introduce it to the world. Well maybe not the entire world but at least the U.S. (one state at a time).

http://facebook.senorsangria.com
http://twitter.com/senorsangria

Who is ready for a day of fun, great food, and who can forget the BEST SANGRIA you have ever had?

Join us for a wine and sangria pig roast festival at the Brotherhood Winery!

Date: Saturday, August 29th

Time: 12:00p.m.-8:00p.m.

Location: Brotherhood Winery

100 Brotherhood Plaza Drive

Washingtonville, NY 10092

Cost: $36 plus tax

What’s on the menu?

Roasted Whole Pig, Barbequed St. Louis style Spare Ribs, Smoked Turkey, Hot dogs, Hamburgers, Salads, Sides, Cornbread, Cookies, Brownies, Snacks and of course all the SANGRIA you can drink!

Tickets are selling fast and need to be ordered in advance.  Please call (845) 496-3661 or order online at http://brotherhoodwinery.net/bro_event.taf?_function=details&view=event&evid=64

Put on your sangria hats and we look forward to seeing you on the 29th!

Brotherhood Winery Event

Next week  (August 20^th & 21^st) we are performing our 3^rd production run of our sangria. I have to tell you I am nervous. We are bottling 2,000 cases. The most we have every bottled.

Traditionally the week before our production run we have all of our ingredients delivered to the winery. Though this week I noticed something. We have started a tradition. The day of the bottling we order lunch big lunch from Gami’s. Today I put my order in (Chicken Stew, Roast Pork, Tostones, White Rite, Empanadas). It is a great feeling sitting around the lunch table with everyone from the winery. It truly feels like one big family. They are also one of our biggest supporters.

If you are ever in Washingtonville NY you have to swing by Gami’s Family Kitchen.

Here is a link to a great article on Gami:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/COMM/802130301