Though it is easy to confuse sangria with sangrita, the newly inaugurated Sangrita Challenge at the 2010 Spirits of Mexico Festival promises to solve this problem.

Unlike the sweet and fruity wine and brandy-based sangria, sangrita was created as a tequila accompaniment with a spicy bite and a lot of interesting history and mythology behind it. Its origins are traced back 60 years to Edmundo Sánchez, a Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico restaurateur known for his hearty dishes and heady home-blended tequila. To balance his tequila’s strong flavor profile, Sánchez blended fresh oranges, salt and powdered red chili making for a drink that is also an institution among tequila fans worldwide.

Just as tequilas have evolved and expanded in scope, so have sangritas, some which venture far from the original recipe, according to the Academia Mexicana de Tequila. Some call for tomatoes, chilies and limes mixed with tequila while others serve as a chaser to Tequila, Mezcal and other spirits of Mexico. What they all have in common is that they bring an interesting culinary adjunct to experiencing the Spirits of Mexico…and spirits of Mexico.