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Home / Drinks & Cocktails

Holiday Sangria

This festive spiced sangria is the perfect drink for any occasion in autumn and winter! It has the holiday’s most iconic flavors, including orange, cranberry, and cinnamon.

Erren Hart

|

last Updated:

03/25/2025
5 from 2 votes
Jump to Recipe Video
Serves: 8
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
a pitcher and glass of Holiday Sangria with fruit
sangria being poured over ice in a glass
an overhead viw of a jug of Holiday Sangria garnished with fruit and mint
A glass of holiday sangria rarnished with fruit and mint
a pitcher Holiday Sangria garnished with fruit and herbs
a pitcher and glass of Holiday Sangria with fruit

a pitcher of Holiday Sangria with sliced fruit, cranberries, star anise, and a sprig of mint

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Served chilled or warm, this festive recipe for Holiday Sangria is perfect for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, or just as a special treat.

a pitcher Holiday Sangria garnished with fruit and herbs

What better way to celebrate the holidays than with a tasty glass of sangria? This fun and easy recipe can be made using any seasonal fruit you like, so it’s great for Thanksgiving, Christmas, informal gatherings, or special occasions.

Looking for more Festive drink Ideas? Try my Easy Christmas Punch!

Why This Recipe Works

  • The orange slices provide a zesty sweetness that pairs well with the tang of the cranberry juice cocktail.
  • The wine offers brightness and a delicious flavor profile.
  • Triple Sec adds depth of flavor.
  • Grenadine delivers sweetness and rich color.
  • Cinnamon sticks, star anise, and peppercorns give the sangria a festive holiday aroma and flavor.
A glass of holiday sangria rarnished with fruit and mint

What Is The Best Wine For Sangria

White Wine: For white sangria, choose a dry white wine that is crisp, more acidic, and fresh, like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or a dry Riesling. Alternatively, try Moscato, Vermentino, or rosé.

Red Wine: Generally, for red sangria, you should choose a lighter red wine, such as Gamay or Zinfandel, which have low tannins. Alternatively, a fruity red blend will work well too. If you’re looking for a true red wine to use, I recommend Rioja for this recipe because it has a spicy taste and cherry undertones. Another great choice is Tempranillo, which also has fruity undertones like raspberry or cherry.

an overhead viw of a jug of Holiday Sangria garnished with fruit and mint

Ingredient Notes

wine cranberry Juice, and triple sec
  • Wine – You can use white, red, rose, or Zinfandel wines. Or, for a special touch, try adding sparkling wine prosecco or champagne. For alcohol-free options, try sparkling water, flavored seltzer water, or ginger ale.
  • Triple sec: If you don’t have Triple Sec, you can use Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or orange liquor as a substitute.
  • Cranberry Juice: To reduce bitterness, use a cranberry juice cocktail which is cranberry juice mixed with other juices. Use 100% cranberry juice if you enjoy a little bitterness.
  • Fruit: This recipe works great with any seasonal fruit you like, so feel free to experiment and find your favorite combination. Some great options are apples, oranges, cranberries, pomegranates, pears, or anything else in season.
  • Cinnamon Sticks: Use whole cinnamon sticks or mix a 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon into the heated mixture.
  • Star Anise: Star anise adds a hint of licorice-like flavor, so go easy on it if you’re not a fan. You can substitute it with juniper berries, whole allspice, or a few cloves.
  • Peppercorns: Red, pink, black, green, or white peppercorns can be used in this recipe. If you’re not a fan, you can omit it.
  • Herbs: I used Lemon balm, which is a lemony mint, but you can use mint, thyme, or for a festive look, rosemary makes a nice presentation.

Step By Step Instructions

In a medium saucepan, add the cranberry juice, one cinnamon stick, 2 whole star anise, peppercorns, slices of half an orange, and 1 cup of fresh cranberries.

a pot with cranberry juice, fresh cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and orange slices

Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the mixture to a large pitcher and chill until cooled.

the cranberry juice mixture being poured into a glass pitcher.

Then pour in the wine.

wine being poured into the pitcher with the juice mixture

Add the orange juice to the pitcher. Juice an orange for the freshest flavor, but if you’re short on time, store-bought will do.

orange juice being poured into the pitcher.

Next, add the triple sec or orange liquor.

triple sec pouring into the jug

I add grenadine for sweetness and richer color, but you can use simple syrup, or if you prefer less sweetness, you can omit it. Just give it a taste and go from there.

a woman pouring grenadine into the sangria in a pitcher

Give it a good mix, and add the cranberries, star anise, cinnamon stick, orange, and apple slices.

a woman adding an apple slice to the sangria

You can also garnish with some herbs like mint, thyme, or a sprig of rosemary for a more festive look.

a woman adding mint to the sangria topped with fruit.

Transfer the mixture to the fridge to chill for 1 to 2 hours. Stir the sangria before serving. and serve over ice.

sangria being poured over ice in a glass

This recipe makes enough to fill a 64oz/2 quart/2 liter pitcher

Storage & Freezing Instructions

Party punches like Sangria make delicious make-ahead drinks. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

In a hurry? Sangria doesn’t require a long rest before serving if you start with chilled wine and flavorful fruit! Using freshly squeezed orange juice will help give it a fresh fruity flavor right away, and the remaining fruit’s flavors will do the rest of the work.

Erren’s Top Tips

  • Add ice to the glass, not the pitcher – Chilling as you drink is always best so it won’t water down the whole batch.
  • Taste for sweetness before adding the grenadine – some brands of cranberry juice can be quite sweet, so taste to see if the grenadine is needed before adding it to the pitcher. Alternatively, you can leave it for guests to add themselves so they can decide on the sweetness.
  • Star anise adds a hint of licorice-like flavor, so go easy on it if you’re not a fan. You can substitute it with juniper berries, whole allspice, or a few cloves.
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a pitcher of Holiday Sangria with sliced fruit, cranberries, star anise, and a sprig of mint

Recipe

Holiday Sangria

This festive spiced sangria is the perfect drink for any occasion in autumn and winter! It has the holiday’s most iconic flavors, including orange, cranberry, and cinnamon.
5 from 2 votes
Print
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Chilling: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Serves 8

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cranberry juice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • ½ orange (sliced)
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries
  • 750 ml white wine (fruity red wine, rose or Zinfandel (1 bottle))
  • ½ cup triple sec (Cointreau or orange liqueur)
  • ½ cup orange juice (fresh squeezed)
  • ¼ cup grenadine ( or simple syrup (optional))
To Finish:
  • 1½ oranges sliced
  • ½ cup fresh cranberries
  • 1 apple (or pear, sliced)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 star anise
  • mint or rosemary

Instructions

  • In a medium saucepan, add the cranberry juice, one cinnamon stick, 2 star anise, peppercorns, half of an orange (sliced), and 1 cup of fresh cranberries.
  • Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add the mixture to a 2-quart pitcher through a fine strainer and chill until cooled.
  • Pour in the wine, orange juice, triple sec, and grenadine, and give it a good mix.
  • Add the cranberries, star anise, cinnamon stick, orange and apple slices, and mint.
  • Chill for 1 to 2 hours and stir before serving. Serve over ice.

Tips

This recipe makes enough to fill a 64oz/2 quart/2 liter pitcher
  • Star anise adds a hint of licorice-like flavor, so go easy on it if you’re not a fan. You can substitute it with juniper berries, whole allspice, or a few cloves.
  • Add ice to the glass, not the pitcher – Chilling as you drink is always best so it won’t water down the whole batch.
  • Taste for sweetness before adding the grenadine – some brands of cranberry juice can be quite sweet, so taste to see if the grenadine is needed before adding it to the pitcher. Alternatively, you can leave it for guests to add themselves so they can decide on the sweetness.
 
Show Nutrition Hide Nutrition

Nutrition

Calories: 198 | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.05g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 29mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
Created by Erren Hart
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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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2 responses

  1. Erren Hart Avatar
    Erren Hart
    01/02/2023

    Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed our Sangria; it was a hit with your friends and family. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Erren Hart Avatar
    Erren Hart
    11/27/2022

    Thank you for your kind words! We’re so glad you enjoyed our sangria and that it helped make your holiday celebration a success. We hope you’ll keep this recipe in mind for future holidays.

    Reply
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