One of the best things I like to do when hosting for Thanksgiving, or attending a Friendsgiving is prepping a cocktail in advance. There’s something so nice about having a welcome cocktail ready, or just a festive drink without having to play bartender all night. This sangria gets a holiday twist with some fall fruit, a little spice from spiced apple cider, and warmth from brandy or orange liqueur. Prep a big batch ahead of time, keep it in your fridge, and have one less thing to stress about this holiday season!
Ingredient Breakdown:
- Red Wine
- If you ask me for my biased answer of what kind of wine makes the best sangria, my answer is always going to be a Spanish wine. But the reality is you can either use any affordable red wine or just your favorite! A tempranillo or garnacha flavor-wise work great in this, as does a Merlot or Pinot Noir. Don’t feel like you need to spend a lot on the wine here since it’s being mixed anyways!
- Spiced Apple Cider
- This forms the cozy, fall-forward base of the drink. I used to make a spiced simple syrup with cinnamon and cloves, but realized swapping that for a spiced apple cider not only made this a lot simpler to make, but it added a nice apple flavor and depth that makes this extra cozy.
- Unsweetened Cranberry Juice
- Cranberry adds a tart, refreshing contrast to the sweetness of the cider. It brightens the drink and gives it that beautiful ruby color. You can also swap for pomegranate juice if you prefer.
- Brandy or Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- There’s always a boozy backbone needed for sangria, but you can choose what you have or prefer. Brandy brings warmth and caramel-like depth, whereas Grand Marnier or Cointreau can add a nice hint of orange flavor.
- Orange
- I put orange in every sangria I make, it just balances the red wine so well. My trick to limiting waste here is cutting off the end of an orange, slicing the orange in rounds to add to the sangria, then using the two ends and juicing them to add to the sangria.
- Fresh Cranberries, Diced Apples, Pears
- The cranberries make this look extra festive, and the fruits overall infuse the sangria with flavor as it sits.
- Cinnamon Stick & Cloves
- Add a little extra cozy, warm, fall spice
Holiday Cranberry Sangria
- Total Time: 65
- Yield: 4
Description
A fall spiced sangria with cranberry and spiced apple cider for an easy make ahead cocktail to enjoy at your gatherings!
Ingredients
For the Holiday Sangria:
- 1 750ml bottle red wine
- 1 cup spiced apple cider
- ½ cup cranberry juice
- ½ cup brandy or Gran Marnier or Cointreau
- 1 whole orange
- Diced apples and pears
- ½ cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 whole cloves (optional)
- Rosemary + apple slice for garnish (optional)
Instructions
For the Holiday Sangria:
- Slice half an orange into slices and add to a pitcher with the diced apples, pears, and cranberries. Squeeze the rest of the orange into the pitcher.
- Add red wine, spiced apple cider, cranberry juice, brandy or Gran Marnier, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves to the pitcher and stir until well combined.
- Store in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour, ideally 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, strain into glasses filled with ice and garnish with rosemary and desired fruit. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5
- Category: Cocktails