This delicious red sangria is a classic. It goes down so easy you hardly know there’s alcohol involved (but oh, there is!). Perfect for fun nights with friends.
Well wouldn’t you just love a nice tall glass of this right now? I mean it’s only 11am in the morning as I type this, but I’m feeling it. I could do with a cold glass of sangria right about now. I mean, I’m only sort of joking. 😂
It’s seriously so delicious, so fruity and sparkling and divine and it’s really the best drink to share with friends because this recipe makes a nice BIG jug of sangria.
If you love making delicious drinks at home, also check out our Moscow mule, white sangria and homemade Irish cream.
How To Make Red Sangria
Full instructions and measurements can always be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- It’s really so simple to make a big jug of sangria. Just add some orange slices, lemon slices and chopped fruit into a jug.
- Then add in the juice of one orange.
- Add in half a cup of brandy and a little maple syrup.
- Pour in a bottle of Spanish red wine (Garnacha).
- Give it a stir and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or even overnight).
- Pour over ice in tall glasses and top up with ginger ale or other soda – lemonade or orange soda also work – and serve!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
Deliciously Fresh Ripe Fruit: We used chopped strawberries, pineapple and nectarines along with the orange and lemon slices. Orange and lemon slices are a must for sangria but for the chopped fruit you can really use any ripe in season fruit that looks good. Other options would be peaches, apples, pears.
Brandy: You can really use any kind of brandy that you like or even substitute it for cognac.
Maple Syrup: We added a little maple syrup for sweetness, you could swap this for honey, or any other kind of syrup or even omit it if you like.
Spanish Wine: The most delicious wine in sangria is Garnacha which is a Spanish red wine. It has a low level of tannins, so it’s very smooth tasting and works wonderfully in sangria. An alternate to Spanish wine is a good Pinot Noir which also works great in Sangria.
Ginger Ale: Adding ginger ale to your sangria is totally optional but we love it. You can add it to your jug of sangria before serving or you can just top up individual glasses with a little ginger ale. Lemonade, sprite or orange soda also work great! These options add to the flavor of the sangria but also dilute the strength a little, which is a good thing because this drink does pack a punch!
Can Sangria Be Made Ahead of Time
This is a great drink to make ahead of time because it can chill in the fridge for a few hours before you need to serve it. In fact it’s ideal if it chills for at least a few hours for the flavors to blend and leaving it to chill overnight is even better. When it’s very well chilled you can just serve it over ice and top up with ginger ale.
Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 Orange Sliced
- 1 Lemon Sliced
- 2 cups Chopped Fruit Strawberries, Pineapple, Nectarines*
- 1 Orange Juiced
- ½ cup Brandy
- 2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1 Bottle Spanish Red Wine Garnacha*
- 3 cups Ginger Ale
- Ice
Instructions
- Add sliced oranges to a jug. Then add the sliced lemon and chopped fruit.
- Pour in the juice of one orange.
- Pour in the brandy followed by the maple syrup.
- Add the red wine and stir.
- Place into the fridge for a few hours (ideally 4 hours or longer) for the flavors to blend.
- Serve over ice in tall glasses and top up glasses with ginger ale or other soda.
Video
Notes
- You can use any chopped fruit that is seasonal and fresh. Apples, peaches, pears all work great.
- Either use Spanish red wine or a Pinot Noir for the best tasting results in this sangria. Alternatively you can use any red wine, but the best tasting ones for sangria are Spanish red (Garnacha) or Pinot Noir due to the lower level of tannins in these wines.
- Ginger ale works well in sangria but so does Sprite or orange soda. It’s great to just use it to top off your glasses to dilute the strength of the drink in a tasty way and add some sparkle to it too.
- Make Ahead: Sangria is ideal to make ahead as it really does great chilling in the fridge for at least a few hours or overnight. So if you need to make it the day before you can definitely do it. Then serve it over ice in tall glasses and top off the glasses with some ginger ale.
I just made these and they are awesome. Really delicious!
Thanks for your feedback Rebecca!
Absolutely LOVE sangria and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. Totally delicious!
Yay! Thanks Anne! 🙂