Christmas Sangria is a crowd pleaser and so easy to make in advance! Keep your holidays easy and delicious with this festive holiday cocktail. Plus, add some champagne and make it a Christmas Sangria Mimosa!
What Is In Sangria?
Sangria originates from Spain in the 18th century and the word comes from “sangre”, meaning blood and it refers to the red color of the drink. The basic ingredients of sangria are wine, a sweetener, liqueur, soda water or other mixer, and fruit. While traditionally red, sangria blanca (white wine sangria) is popular as well.
Christmas Sangria Ingredients
- Dry Red Wine: Drier, full bodied wines work best with this cocktail such as a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc, Malbec. Syrah and Pinot Noir are light wines that can work as well. Use what you like to drink and a lot of other ingredients go in this drink so no need to go with anything fancy.
- Brandy: Brandy is the most common liquor added to Sangria and is made from fermented fruit juice, which enhances the Sangria flavors. Choose the brandy in your alcohol cabinet or go with whatever you’re feeling is compatible with the rest of these ingredients. Cognac is a type of brandy so that would work as well but just keep in mind it’s made from white grapes. Again, no need to splurge on the brandy, save the nice brandy for sipping.
- Fruit: This sangria features the three most common fruits in Spain: oranges, lemons and green apples plus red grapes. Feel free to add in or substitute other juicy fruits that you happen to have on hand.
- Soda Water: Sparkling water or club soda adds some refreshing fizz to this cocktail. Fruit flavored sparkling soda that pairs well with the fruit can be used as well. I have used lemon-lime and plain soda water for this recipe and both tasted great.
(Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe card with exact measurements and recipe instructions.)
How to Make Christmas Sangria
This easy holiday Sangria recipe makes a gorgeous pitcher of drinks for the holidays! Triple or quadruple the batch for a crowd.
- Chop the Fruit: Slice the oranges, lemons and green apples.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the sliced fruit, red grapes, wine, brandy.
- Cover & Refrigerate: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Sangria is meant to be chilled and it allows the fresh fruits to infuse the wine and enhance the flavor.
- Add the Fizz: For maximum sparkle add the fizz right before serving.
- Serve: Pour into festive holiday glasses and enjoy! Optionally, serve over ice.
Garnish by rimming the glasses with cinnamon sugar and fresh cranberries on toothpicks, or make it extra festive with these sugared cranberries. You can also garnish this sangria with cinnamon sticks, pomegranate arils or sprigs of fresh rosemary.
Christmas Sangria Mimosas
Christmas Sangria Mimosas are a bubbly twist on this refreshing cocktail. Sangria mimosas are made with champagne (or your favorite prosecco) and the bubbly makes everything feel more festive!
Simply substitute the sparkling water with champagne, cava or prosecco. You can either swap out all the sparkling water with a 750 ml bottle of champagne or go half and half with a 350 ml bottle of champagne and 12 oz of sparkling water.
Since sangria has many flavors, there’s no need splurge on the bubbly. I would, however, suggest you go for something with a flavor you enjoy and also I recommend a dry Brut.
Sangria Hacks
The beauty of a sangria is its flexibility! Try these unique twists to make this drink even more fun and festive.
- Make it Spicy: Add jalapeño slices to give this cocktail some extra kick.
- Different Liqueur: If you don’t have any brandy try using an orange liqueur such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec.
- Add Different Fruit: Sangria work with many different fruits including leftover and frozen fruits. Try using berries, pears, pomegranate, cranberries, or your favorite fruit.
- Sweeten it Up: If you like a sweeter sangria try sweetening it up with sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup or honey.
Don’t be afraid to taste and adjust this Christmas sangria recipe to your liking. Enjoy the journey of finding the perfect balance for you!
Make Ahead of Time
You can make sangria up to 2 days in advance. Just store the sangria in an airtight container and refrigerate if you are planning to keep it in the fridge for more than 6 hours.
Christmas Sangria
Christmas Sangria is the best cocktail for holidays, parties, and celebrations. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years (Eve & Day!), it's a fantastic cocktail to add to your holiday menu.
Ingredients
- 1 bottle red wine
- 2 shots brandy
- Fruit - sliced oranges, limes, green apples (about one each), a handful of red grapes (frozen, if you prefer)
- 24 oz Sparkling soda water or champagne
Instructions
- Put fruit in the bottom of a serving pitcher. Add red wine and brandy, stir gently. Refrigerate for 4 - 24 hours. When ready to serve, stir in the soda and pour into glasses with a little ice and fruit in each glass.
Notes
Make it a Christmas sangria mimosa by substituting the sparkling water with champagne.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 181Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 14mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 2gSugar: 17gProtein: 1g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.
More Festive Drink Recipes
- 31 Festive Holiday Cocktails
- 30 Champagne Cocktail Recipes
- 20 Moscow Mule Variations
- Pomegranate Mojito
- Pomegranate Margaritas
- Poinsettia Drink (Cranberry Mimosa)
- White Christmas Cocktail with Bourbon
- Smoked Cream Cheese - May 14, 2024
- Caprese Bites Appetizer Recipe - March 10, 2024
- Bruschetta Caprese Recipe - March 6, 2024