Classic Sangria Recipe for a Delicious Red Wine Cocktail

I tested and tasted 10 Sangria recipes to bring you the one that reminds me most of Spain. Who doesn’t love sangria? Sangria is perfect for red wine cocktail for sipping on a hot summer day. Sangria is perfect for a backyard BBQ or garden party. It is usually made in pitchers which makes a host’s life easier instead of making cocktails one by one. The best part about sangria is that you can adjust it to include any fruit you like from apple and oranges to blueberries and strawberries. The best wine to use is an inexpensive Spanish table wine like Garnacha or Tempranillo. You’ll basically need wine, brandy, and fruit to make this recipe. Feel free to adjust it and make it your own. Hot tip: Make sangria when you don’t know what to do with leftover wine!

Sangria

Sangria is a traditional wine based cocktail originating in the Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal). This is really easy recipe that you can adjust to whatever fruit you have laying around. It will work with pears, grapefruit, strawberries, or the traditional lemons, oranges, and apple. If you have time, soak the fruit in brandy for two hours. This recipe is for a full pitcher but you can halve it when you have a leftover bottle of red wine that's starting to turn. If you're going out to buy wine for sangria, choose a fruity Spanish wine. An inexpensive Garnacha or Tempranillo will be great for sangria.

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Course Drinks

Servings 6

Equipment

Large Pitcher
Wooden Spoon
Knife for cutting fruit
Ice to serve

Ingredients

2 Oranges (With rind, 1 cut up into small pieces, 1 cut into wedges for garnish)
1 Lemon (With rind, cut up into small pieces)
1 Apple (Cored, cut up into small pieces)
1 Any other seasonal fruit (Blueberries, raspberries, strawberrie)
2 tbsp Sugar
½ cup Brandy
½ cup Orange Juice (Freshly squeezed if possible)
1 bottle Dry Red Wine (Try a Garnacha)
6 sprigs Mint (optional) For garnish

Instructions

In a large pitcher combine fruit and sugar
Muddle the fruit for 1 minute using a wooden spoon
Add brandy and muddle again for 1 minute
Add red wine and orange juice
Serve over ice
Garnish with an orange wedge

Notes

Keyword red wine cocktail, sangria

What glasses should I use for Sangria?

I’ve made an entire post about the best Sangria glasses and pitchers for both indoors and outdoors.

What is the best wine for sangria?

The best wine for sangria is an inexpensive red wine from Spain or Portugal. Try a Garnacha, Baga, or Tempranillo. Any fruit-forward red wine will do.

What fruit goes into sangria?

The great thing about sangria is that almost any fruit can be used. Apples, oranges, and lemons are traditional, but strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are divine! Use whatever fruit you already have or whatever fruit is in season.

What brandy should I use for sangria?

The obvious answer is the one you can afford, however, there’s not a whole lot of brandy used for sangria, so if you can splurge for a higher quality one, then do it. Mid-range is best, no need to go for a proper Cognac. There’s plenty of other flavors going on in sangria, so the brandy doesn’t shine anyway.

What can I substitute for brandy in sangria?

If you’re not a brandy fan or just don’t have any in the house, you can opt for an orange based liqueur like Cointreau, Triple Sec, or Gran Marnier.

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