This holiday sangria is festive, cozy, cinnamon-y, topped with citrus goodness. I mean what can I say? This sangria got it going on! The goal is to create a lip smacking liven up the party kinda holiday sangria. So without further or do…..let’s make some holiday punch!
The sangria is sweet, sour, and fun all at the same time. Best of all it’s meant to be made in advance and is the perfect cocktail for the holiday season.
The Best Red Wine
Who’s ready for a quick history lesson? Sangria originates from Spain, Portugal. It’s simply red punch with fruity notes, spirits, and other cool ingredients. Sangria is a very popular drink in Spanish cuisine.
Let’s talk about the wine…..Red wine is definitely the most important ingredient in this recipe. But, what kind of red wine should you use? That’s up to you. If you have Spanish wine on-hand, use it. If not, some cool alternatives would be any type of red wine that’s not overpowering such as red blend or pinot noir.
Some examples of Spanish red wine include: Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Priorat, and Toro.
Bottom line….do not use a red wine you personally would not drink by itself.
Making a Holiday Sangria
What I love most about sangria is just have versatile it can truly be. Any who below are the ingredients we used to make this lovely holiday sangria!
- Wine: The most traditional sangrias feature red wine and it just so happens that red wine looks fantastic during the fall/winter months. So, why make your holiday season stressful keep it simple. With your favorite bottles of red wine and a few extra things.
- Fruit: If you were not aware, citrus season peaks in the fall/winter. Now with that being said….citrus fruits really hit the spot in this drink. The citrus provides a little sunshine and brightness. The use of pomegranates, apples, pears, and cranberries not only provide more playful colors. But are also fall fruits that are readily available this time of year.
- Spices: Cinnamon just screams holiday season…and it also compliments the fall flavors in this incredible holiday goodness sangria.
- Sugar: Instead of just adding regular sugar to this drink….we decided to up the game with a cranberry cinnamon simple syrup. The simple syrup helps harmonize all the flavors of the fruit and wine. So, just add a little at a time to adjust the taste. Also, this simple syrup could use for other holiday drinks or food!
- Spirits: A sangria is only as good as the extra alcohol added right? For this particular recipe we decided to keep it simple with just adding orange liqueur to the mix. In order to compliment, the actual oranges within the sangria.
- Others: Sometimes to make the drinks sketch or lighten-up the sangria sparkling water or fruit juices can be added. If you want to keep the holiday vibes going add cranberry juice or pomegranate juice to the drink.
Tips & Tricks to the Holiday Punch
Curious to know a few tips and tricks to spice up that holiday punch? Well, my friend you’ve come to the right place!
- For a truly harmonized drink allow the sangria to marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 24 hours. We promise the wait is totally worth it! You know how the saying goes….good things come to those who wait.
- Want a strong kick? In addition to the orange liqueur, add brandy to the holiday sangria. The brandy adds a warming touch to the sangria and definitely provides the oomph.
- Trying to make the sangria stretch the whole night? Here’s a few tricks for ya!
- Trick 1…add something bubbly. Once the sangria is made, top it off with your favorite sparkling drink. Examples include sparkling water, sparkling apple cider, or prosecco. You get the idea right? Not only is the addition of something sparkling helpful, it also adds a little fizz to the mix.
- Trick 2….add more juice. If aiming for a lighter drink or trying to dilute some of the added spirits. Add in a festive holiday juice such ask apple cranberry juice or pomegranate juice or simply orange juice.
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Interested in more cocktails? Check out the links below:
The Holiday Sangria YouTube Video
Festive Holiday Sangria
Ingredients
- 2 bottles Red wine 750mL each
- ½ cup Orange Liqueur
- ½ cup Brandy optional
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 2 sticks Cinnamon
- 1 cup Fresh cranberries
- 1 Pink lady apple sliced
- 1 Granny smith apple sliced
- 1 Orange sliced
- 1 Barlett pear sliced
- ½ cup Pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup Cranberry juice optional
- ½ cup Pomegranate juice optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine the sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and cranberries. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, approximately 2-5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and allow it to reach room temperature. Then refrigerate for 2-4 hours or up to 24 hours. Strain the simple syrup discarding the cinnamon sticks and cranberries.
- Combine the fruit, wine, orange liqueur, brandy, cranberry juice, and pomegranate juice into a pitcher or container. Sweeten to your liking with the cranberry cinnamon simple syrup.
- Cover the container/pitcher with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours before serving. Enjoy!