Served chilled or warm, this festive recipe for Holiday Sangria is perfect for Thanksgiving, holiday parties, or just as a special treat.
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.
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.
Ingredient Notes
- 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.
Turn the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the mixture to a large pitcher and chill until cooled.
Then pour in the wine.
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.
Next, add the triple sec or orange liquor.
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.
Give it a good mix, and add the cranberries, star anise, cinnamon stick, orange, and apple slices.
You can also garnish with some herbs like mint, thyme, or a sprig of rosemary for a more festive look.
Transfer the mixture to the fridge to chill for 1 to 2 hours. Stir the sangria before serving. and serve over ice.
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.
Did you make this?
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Let’s Make Holiday Sangria
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 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 + Notes
- 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.
Camila says
This sangria was a huge hit at our holiday party! It was easy to make and everyone loved it. It was the perfect drink to help us celebrate Thanksgiving.
Erren Hart says
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.