Classic Sangria Drinks

These Sangria Recipes are perfect for large parties or intimate gatherings. With recipes for white sangria, red sangria and recipes suited for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, you’ll find something you love on this list.

These Sangria Recipes Are Foolproof

If you’re having a party and want to serve a batch of sangria, you want it to be great. You’re investing a lot of wine and fruit into this drink, and neither of those things are cheap!

While sangria is almost impossible to mess up (in its simplest form, it’s just a whole slew of wine, booze and fruit), you need a solid recipe as at least a starting point.

You will not go wrong with any of the recipes below!

Basic Ingredients to Make Sangria Drinks

• Wine – I like Sauvignon Blanc for white sangria and Pinot Noir for red sangria. The important thing is to start with a variety of wine that isn’t too sweet to begin with. So, skip the Riesling here. You’ll be sweetening the vino up with lots of other stuff.
• Brandy – This is a spirit that is also distilled from grapes (like wine), but has a much higher proof. I tried to do some research as to why brandy is classically added to sangria, but the only thing I can come up with is simply that it makes the sangria a bit more alcoholic. Sounds like a good enough reason to me.
• Triple Sec – This orange-flavored liqueur just sweetens things up a bit and adds a nice citrus flavor. Sometimes I’ll use a $40 bottle of Cointreau, and sometimes I’ll use a $4 bottle of no-name triple sec. Fairly sure nobody can ever tell the difference.
• Fruit – Pretty much any fruit is fair game for sangria, but I like lots of oranges and apples. Peaches and cherries are great. Berries work well, too. When deciding on which fruit to use, think about which fruit you’ll most want to eat after it’s been soaked in wine for two days. Because at some point during a sangria party, you’ll find some of your guests huddled around the sangria jugs, fishing out boozy fruit and eating it.
• Sugar or Simple Syrup – This is called for in almost all sangria recipes. However, I don’t always add any additional sweeteners to my sangria. I’m not a huge fan of super-sweet things, and in my opinion, the sweetness of the wine, fruit and triple sec is enough for me. If you like sweet sangria, by all means, add the sugar. Another option would be to offer sugar cubes on the side, so if a few guests would like a sweeter version, they can add a little sugar to their glasses.
• Seltzer or something bubbly – This isn’t required, but I like it. It gives the sangria a punch-like quality. It also dilutes the alcohol a little bit, which means you can drink more of it. I use Diet 7-Up or Diet Sprite to add some calorie-free fizzy action, while also adding even more fruit flavor.

How to Make Sangria

Most basic sangria recipes involve a few simple steps:

1. STIR. In a large pitcher, jug or beverage dispenser, stir together the wine, sliced fruit, and any brandy or other liqueur included in the recipe.
2. REFRIGERATE. Sangria gets better if it has a chance to spend some time in the fridge. 1 day is good, or up to 5 days is even better!
3. SERVE. Serve sangria over fresh ice, garnished with more fresh sliced fruit, and topped off with club soda if you’d like a little bubbles.

What to Pair With These Sangria Drinks

Who doesn’t love a few things to nibble on when they’re drinking sangria?

My favorite snacks to serve with sangria drinks are:

• Coconut Shrimp Recipe
• Greek Yogurt Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Charcuterie Cups
• Shishito Pepper Recipe
• Phyllo Cups