A beautifully spiced red sangria that is full bodied in flavour, and lightly spiced! Whether it's Christmas, Thanksgiving or a special occasion, this red wine sangria is great for cold or hot weather!
Hi Friends! How are the Christmas plans going? Are you almost there with planning, or totally chaotic? I'm somewhere in between! I'm kinda lucky though because I don't have to do a lot this year for Christmas.
All my family is back in Australia, so it's just us for Christmas. We are heading to friends for Christmas Day though, so that should be fun!
We've had a couple of Christmas parties already which has been super fun! I made my famous pavlova recipe the other day and it was a total hit! Speaking of hits, this red sangria was also well received at the same party so I'm super excited to share this recipe with you today!
How to Make Red Sangria!
The general gist for sangria comes down to; a red wine, some form of liquor, fruits, a simple syrup and some ice. I stuck with those flavours, but added a spiced element for a more Christmasy feel.
As well as red wine, I used cranberry juice for a festive flair (you could also use pomegranate juice), triple sec (Grand Marnier or Cointreau would also work, but I had triple sec already) to add a hint of orange flavour to the red sangria, the spiced simple syrup I've used before for my Spiced Apple Cider Moscow Mule, and finished off with seasonal fruits.
The recipe itself is super simple. You make the simple syrup, then add everything to a pitcher and leave to cool. I opted to use fresh, seasonal fruits for this sangria, using green apple, blood orange, cranberries and pomegranates.
While this isn't necessarily a Christmas only recipe, I made it a little more Christmasy for the holiday season! I also say that it is a winter sangria, but as it's chilled, I'd be so down drinking this on a hot day in the summer!
This would be the most beautiful recipe to have at your Christmas table, next dinner party, summer pot luck or any other special occasion that calls for wine! The simple syrup can be made ahead of time, but for best results and to avoid soggy fruit, make the day of the occasion!
Georgie x x
📖 Recipe
Easy Red Sangria Recipe
Ingredients
Spiced Simple Syrup
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cardamom pods crushed
- ½ tablespoon whole cloves
- 1 star anise
Red Sangria
- 1 bottle red wine
- ¼ cup triple sec or substitute for other orange flavored liquor like Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 2 cups cranberry juice no added sugar
- ½ cup spiced simple syrup
- 1 green apple finely sliced
- 1 blood orange sliced
- ¼ cup pomegranate arils
- ¼ cup cranberries
- optional - rosemary and extra cinnamon quills to serve
Instructions
Spiced Simple Syrup
- Place the spiced simple syrup ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally- around 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes to let the flavours infuse, then strain liquid into a smaller cup or bowl.
For the Red Wine Sangria
- Add the fruit to a large pitcher/jug.
- Add the red wine, cranberry juice, simple syrup and triple sec.
- Stir until combined, and cover. Refrigerate until cool and serve with a garnish of cinnamon and rosemary.
Jagruti Dhanecha says
What a delicious and colourful looking drink, perfect for any occasion and straightforward recipe.
Georgie says
thanks Jagruti! It was lovely for Christmas, it would also be perfect for summer too!
Jyothi (Jo) says
Oh my...that sangria the color is simply gorgeous! Your photos are amazing and I'm in love with this classic holiday drink!
Georgie says
aww thanks so much Jo! hope you had a lovely Christmas!
Nicole says
Oh my goodness. I might have to make this tomorrow’s. This looks amazing.
Georgie says
thanks Nicole, it's my new favorite, the spice blend is absolutely beautiful, not overpowering at all!