by Vonda J. Sines

Created on: February 01, 2008   Last Updated: February 03, 2008

It's a favorite add-on to a great Spanish meal. But if you try to order sangria in Virginia, you might be out of luck.

The state still has an obscure law on the books that prohibits serving any drink made by mixing wine or beer with spirits, according to The Washington Post. This law, which was passed just after the national prohibition on alcohol ended, can send a convicted bartender to jail for a year. This makes it far from a joke.

The popular drink originated in Spain and made its first U.S. tasting appearance at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, according to WineIntro.com.

Sangria has been popular in Europe for several hundred years. WineIntro.com suggests that while every restaurant has its own version of a sangria recipe, the drink usually is a mix of wine, brandy, soda water, and fresh fruit.

The word sangria is Spanish for blood and probably reflects the fact that the punch is normally made with red wine. The drink is typically served in restaurants in a pitcher full of ice with a garnish of fresh fruit, such as floating orange slices.

Curtis Coleburn, chief operating officer of the Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), says agents have given out perhaps just a handful of sangria citations in recent years, according to The Post. He added that officials typically warn restaurants that they're prohibited from serving sangria without issuing them citations since most owners and managers don't even know about the old law.

Many of the state's alcohol laws remain unchanged since 1934, when Prohibition died. The Washington Post article indicates that the Virginia law makes it illegal to combine wine or beer and spirits as well as pre-mixing or storing drinks outside the containers in which they were manufactured. One exception: products in approved frozen-drink dispensers.

While the Virginia General Assembly considers the fate of the outdated law during its current session, a few of the restaurants slapped with violations have appealed their citations. A general manager of a Spanish restaurant in Crystal City, VA, a densely-populated business neighborhood adjacent to Washington, DC, called the law "preposterous," according to The Post. He also admitted that his restaurant changed its recipe after hearing about citations handed out to other local establishments.

Barrett Hardiman, who serves as the director of government relations for the Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association, which represents more than 1,000 restaurants, called the law "archaic." Until elected Virginia officials repeal or change the sangria code, however, a citation is considered a misdemeanor. Serve your patrons the wrong pitcher, and you could face a $2,500 fine or 12 months in jail.

The Post article also points out that sangria is hardly alone on the Virginia hit list. Other popular selections are prohibited as well. Among them are kir royals, made with sparkling wine, and boilermakers, which mix beer with a shot of liquor. They've also been joined by some newly popular beer cocktails.

According to The Post, ABC files show that La Tasca, a well-known Alexandria, VA bar and restaurant, received four citations and a $2,000 fine on December 5, 2006. At this writing, the case has not been resolved because the restaurant chose to appeal.

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