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.
Carrie Ditton says
What a wonderful treat for the holiday season! I think I will feature this at our New Year Party!
Georgie says
thanks Carrie! I hope you enjoyed it!
Karyl Henry says
I've never been a big fan of sangria and I don't know why, because I love wine and the fruit inside. I really need to give it another shot. I love the festive touch you put on this, with the sugared cranberries and rosemary
Georgie says
I LOVE sangria! it's gorgeous, you can definitely have it outside of Christmas too, it would be so delicious in summer, I hope you do give it a go!
Michelle says
This is such a great drink for Christmas parties and I love your addition of cranberry juice! Perfectly festive sangria!
Georgie says
thanks Michelle 🙂 It was certainly a hit at our christmas parties!
Anna Hettick says
I myself don't drink but I always think these types of drinks are soooo gorgeous!!! I'm sure it tastes amazing also!
Georgie says
it does indeed! I wish I could figure out how to make it non-alcoholic for you!
Kelly Anthony says
Christmas sangria! How do I always forget about this?! Thank you so much for this recipe. It'll be the perfect party drink this Christmas!!!
Georgie says
Yess! I hope you enjoyed it, it's an underrated cocktail for sure!
Anne Lawton says
I love sangria, and this recipe looks so easy and delicious. I will be making this during the holidays!
Georgie says
thank Anne! I hope you enjoyed it!
Veena Azmanov says
I have not made Sangria in years. Use to make it often before. This brings back memories. I must make this soon. Looks so good. Would be perfect for the holidays
Georgie says
it's a perfect cocktail for a crowd, I absolutely love sangria I also don't know why I don't make it more often!
Sherri says
What a beautiful, festive sangria! These flavors are so perfect for the holiday season to share with friends and family! Hope you have a wonderful holiday! 🙂
Georgie says
thanks Sherrie, I hope you have a happy holiday also!
Denise says
This is what dreams are made of! This drink looks incredible, and flavorful! Have to try it for sure!
Georgie says
ha ha thanks Denise! It's a winner in my opinion!
Shelley says
Oh Georgie! This is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! What a lovely drink for entertaining around the holidays - total showstopper (although I absolutely agree that I would definitely be down with drinking this chilled in the summer, too)! And, once I got done just looooving your photos, I got all excited about the terrific recipe itself - I adore the simple syrup idea you used here, instead of just tossing some fruit in wine the way a lot of recipes do. Wonderful post - definitely pinning this! Cheers to you and your family and merry, merry Christmas!
Georgie says
aww bless you Shelley for your kind words!!! I absolutely love this recipe, it definitely is perfect all year round! Hope you had a wonderful christmas!
Gabi says
Looks fantastic! I plan on making this tonight and take it to a party. I'm sure it will be the hit!
Georgie says
awesome Gabi, I hope you enjoyed it!
Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C says
This sangria looks so gorgeous and festive! I hope you enjoy your Christmas with your family!
Georgie says
thanks Andrea! I had a great holiday!
Matt @ Plating Pixels says
This is so gorgeous! Love the cranberry garnish.
Georgie says
they look so pretty don't they! Super festive!
Caroline says
I'm a big fan of sangria and this looks so pretty and festive!
Georgie says
thanks Caroline! It was a hit this christmas!
Joanie says
Yes, absolutely the best! So flavorful and perfect for the holidays. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Georgie says
thanks Joanie! It is legit my new favourite recipe to make for our friends! I love bulk cocktail!