Springtime Sangria Recipe

My best friend told me it would be a good idea to share my Sangria recipe today because today is Cinco de Mayo! (I know sangria isn’t traditionally a Mexican drink BTW.) Although, it’s a little late to be making a recipe for sangria on the day of, it’s okay because it’s not like you can’t enjoy this recipe whenever you want.  Every year, I find that Cinco de Mayo kind of kicks off the warm weather festivities. This year will probably be different for all of us though so it probably is a good idea to share this recipe so you guys can make it at home. Plus this weekend is Mother’s Day and moms like fruity libations too! Scroll all the way down if you just want the recipe.

I make sangria every single year around this time and I’ve mastered red wine sangria, but I’m still working on the perfect white wine sangria. Today, I’ll be sharing my red wine sangria because it’s the perfect alcoholic drink for the springtime in my opinion. The key to the best tasting sangria is fresh fruit over frozen or a mixture of both and the right wine. Personally, I use Shiraz because it’s not too sweet and not too dry.

The type of fruit really does matter especially with red sangria. The reason is that you don’t want too much citrus or not enough citrus. So balance it out with different sweeter fruits like peaches, mangoes, and apples. Frozen sweeter fruits are fine. Your citrus fruits will most likely be oranges or pineapples – I usually don’t add lemon because it’s a little too acidic for my taste. Red wine has quite a few tannins which is just acid. Do you see where I’m going with this?

Next, I usually add a juice base which can be blueberry, pineapple, or grape juice, I know grape juice seems counterintuitive but white grape juice is my favorite juice base because it’s another way of taking some of the acids in the wine away. Now, don’t forget the liquor and liqueur. This step is optional of course, but very much recommended. For reds, I usually use dark liquor like rum, bourbon, or brandy. If you’re not using liquor, then add more liqueur. My favorites are St. Germain and Peach Schnapps – the choice is yours though. Last is more sweetener if you’re not happy with the current results. I use agave but simple syrup works just fine as well. To give the red wine sangria that classic flavor, I always add a few cinnamon sticks. This just ties all of the different notes and flavors together and gives it a nice kick.

Ok, best friend (and others) I know you just came here for the actual recipe, but you know I like to be thorough. 🙃 So here it is.

What you need: 

1 Liter of Red Wine (Shiraz)

Dark Rum, Bourbon, or Brandy

St Germain

Peach Schnapps

White Grape Juice (Apple, Pineapple, or Blueberry Juice)

2 Fresh Oranges

16 oz (1 carton) of Strawberries

1/2 Bag Frozen Fruit Medley (Mango, Pineapple, Peaches or Apples) or 1 Fresh Mango, 2 Fresh Peaches, and/or 1 Fresh Apple)

Agave or Simple Syrup

Cinnamon Sticks or Cinnamon Powder

1. Cut oranges into slices and cut strawberries into halves. Rinse and chop up fruit medley into smaller pieces. If using fresh sweet fruits, rinse and chop into small pieces. Add fruit to a large pitcher
2. Pour wine into a large pitcher until 2/3 to 3/4 full. (Depends on how strong you want it)
3. Pour in juice base until the pitcher is nearly full
4. Add 1-2 shots of liquor (optional)
5. Add 1/4 cup of St-Germain and 1/4 cup of Peach Schnapps
6. Add 1/4 – 1/2 cup Agave or Simple Syrup
7. Stir with a large spoon and muddle fruit while stirring. Use muddler if on hand
8. Add 2-3 Cinnamon sticks to the pitcher
9. Refrigerate for 4-12 hours (overnight is recommended)

You can taste right after making, but the flavors haven’t really set in just yet. After about 3 or 4 hours, go ahead and taste test to see if you like the flavors so far. You may want to add some more sweetener or liqueur depending on your preferences. You can even add more liquor if you want something stronger. Refrigerate for the remaining time and enjoy!

Leave a comment if you want my white wine sangria recipe too!

Thanks for reading,

ChelsiKay