Holiday Sangria (Mocktail or Cocktail!)
Celebrating the holiday season is all about the food! But you can't host a party without a delicious drink! With this holiday sangria recipe, you can serve your guests a delicious mocktail or cocktail packed with Christmas flavor. Featuring star-shaped fruit and warm cinnamon, this flavorful winter drink will make the perfect addition to your celebration's menu.
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What Do I Need to Make Holiday Sangria?
Make sure your party guests have a delicious drink to sip on at your next party with this simple sangria recipe! Whip up this delicious holiday cocktail using these ingredients:
- Sweetened cranberry juice
- Sparkling grape juice or red wine
- Oranges
- Cranberries
- Green apples
- Cinnamon sticks
How Do I Make Holiday Sangria?
Whether you're looking for a kid-friendly mocktail or an adult-only cocktail, this recipe fits the bill! With one simple substitution, you can adjust the ingredients to create a nonalcoholic drink perfect for the little ones at your celebration. Just follow these simple instructions for preparing this drink - with or without alcohol!
Step One: Prepare the Fruit
Before mixing your sangria, you'll need a few minutes to prepare the fruit you plan to add to your drink. Start by cutting the oranges into thin slices. Then, slice the apples and use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the center of each apple. Once all the star shapes are cut out, you can dice the remaining pieces of apple into small, bite-sized pieces.
Step Two: Mix the Drink
Combine the cranberry juice, sparkling grape juice or red wine, oranges, cranberries, green apples, and cinnamon sticks in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Stir to combine the ingredients.
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Step Three: Chill the Sangria
Once the ingredients are mixed and ready to go, place the pitcher or punch bowl in the refrigerator to chill. You can chill the drink for an hour or up to overnight.
Step Four: Serve Your Drinks
When you're ready to serve your cocktails, pour the drink into a glass and garnish the drinks with cinnamon sticks and fresh fruit slices.
How Do You Store Holiday Sangria?
After enjoying this fruity drink, keep it in the refrigerator. If you have leftovers when the party is over, simply transfer the extra sangria to an airtight container and keep it chilled for up to seven days.
Can I Make Holiday Sangria Ahead of Time?
Yes! Your fruity sangria can be mixed up to one day in advance and kept in the refrigerator until you're ready to enjoy it. In fact, giving your cocktail or mocktail a few extra hours in the fridge is a great way to enhance the drink's flavor. That's because it gives all the fruit, juice, and wine time to meld with each other as everything soaks together in the refrigerator.
Holiday Sangria Recipe Ideas
I guarantee everyone at your party will love this Christmas sangria recipe's warm and inviting flavors! While this flavorful recipe has the perfect combination of ingredients, you can easily swap out some of the items in the recipe for alternatives to suit your tastes. Try these recipe substitution ideas as you mix up your own sangria for your party.
- Add some apple cider. Apple cider gives your sangria some fall flavor. You can swap out the cranberry juice for cider or mix the cider with the rest of the listed ingredients.
- Mix in some star anise. Star anise is a great addition to any holiday recipe because it's warm and spicy flavor screams Christmas! You can add the star anise pods directly to the drink to add some warmth to the recipe and decorate the drink at the same time.
- Decorate with fresh herbs. Add a pop of green color to your red drink with the help of some fresh herb sprigs. Fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme all make great garnishes for this sangria recipe.
- Use your favorite wine. Sweet red wine is a popular option for this holiday sangria. But you can also swap out the red wine for white wine. Or mix in your favorite dry red wine and add a small amount of sugar to help balance the flavors.
- Mix in some liquor. Add liquor to give your sangria an extra kick! Try mixing a small amount of brandy into the drink to ensure it really packs a punch for your holiday party.
- Try different fruits. Apples and cranberries are a delicious combination for your party cocktail. But they're not the only fruits you can add to your sangria! Try adding some limes, pears, pomegranate seeds, or lemon slices.
- Give it some fizz. If you plan on swapping out the sparkling grape juice for wine, you might want to consider adding a carbonated drink to the mix. Using a fizzy mixer, like ginger ale or sparkling water, is a great way to add some bubbles to the cocktail without overpowering the flavor of the fruits and wine.
Holiday Sangria (Mocktail or Cocktail!)
Equipment
- Optional* star cutters for apples
Ingredients
- 24 oz sweetened cranberry juice chilled
- 24 oz sparkling grape juice or red wine chilled
- 2 large oranges sliced
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 2 large green apples diced
- 4-5 cinnamon sticks
- Additional cinnamon sticks and sliced green apples for garnish
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients into a large pitcher or punch bowl. Stir until combined.
- Store sangria mixture in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Serve chilled and garnish with additional cinnamon sticks and apple slices cut with a star cutter, or fresh fruit of choice. Enjoy!
