Fruity Sangria Recipe That’s So Easy and Delicious

I just love this fruity sangria recipe! My hubby said it was the best sangria he’s had, and we have had our fair share of sangria ???

Sangria is just such a party drink! You can dress it up with whatever fruit you fancy and make it more or less strong, just right for your crowd. Can you just picture yourself with a pitcher of sangria (to share, of course), a nice cheese board or some BBQ tapas on a lazy Saturday afternoon? I know I can!

What is Sangria?

Some of you may be wondering what I’m going on about. Is sangria a cocktail? Is it a wine? 

Sangria is a Spanish wine punch made with red wine, liquor, fresh fruit, a little mixer, and a dash of sweetness. It’s usually served with Spanish tapas, cheese boards or appetizers. Sangria is served cold, with ice cubes. It’s like a wine cooler but sooo much better!

Sangria is definitely on the sweet side so you can easily drink more than you realize. It tastes so good and refreshing that I can overindulge (I’m a lightweight and feel tipsy after two glasses of wine). That’s why I usually water down my glass with a little extra ice. 

What’s The Best Wine For Sweet Sangria?

You can use any sweet red wine, but it doesn’t have to be a specific one. I used Merlot for this fruity sangria recipe, but you can use pinot noir, zinfandel, or a red blend. Depending on the wine you use, you may want to adjust the amount of sweetness you add.

The other beauty about sangria is that you can use a cheap red wine, so it’s perfect for a crowd. You can also adjust the potency by adding more or less of the mixers  and ice cubes. 

What Fruit Goes In Sangria? 

Oranges and limes are the most common fruit for sangria. My fruity sangria recipe has oranges, limes, and apples, but you can add other fruits if you like. For example, you can try it with blueberries, grapes, or strawberries. However, it shouldn’t be something that can get too mushy, so I would avoid bananas.

How To Make Sweet Sangria At Home

You can buy sangria ready-made at the store and just add fruit. But what’s the fun in that? Sweet sangria is easy to make and only takes ten minutes. Here are the ingredients you need for this fantastic wine punch. You can start out with my fruity sangria recipe and then adjust the amounts of each ingredient to suit your tastes. I tend to like my sangria on the sweet side and not so boozy, but you can add more or less of brandy, less mixer or simple syrup to suit your palate.

Red Wine – you can use merlot, pinot noir, zinfandel, red blends. Cheap wine is fine!

Mixer – you can use lemon-lime soda. I used Sprite. 

Brandy – if you don’t normally have brandy at home, buy a small bottle just for sangria. Cheap brandy is fine for this, too.

Triple Sec – this is an orange liquor. You can buy an inexpensive non-alcoholic version at the grocery store. Or you can use Cointreau or Grand Marnier if you have them on hand. 

Simple Syrup – you can buy this where you find the cocktail mixers at your local grocery store. Or you can make it yourself. It’s just equal parts water and sugar heated together to give the sugar a chance to dissolve. 

Orange Juice – I really prefer fresh squeezed for this. You don’t need a lot, about two oranges will do. Or use the orange juice you have on hand. 

Fresh Fruit – definitely use oranges and limes and then add other fruits you like. I like to keep it simple so I go with oranges, limes and apples. Just don’t use Granny Smith, it’s not sweet enough.

Ice Cubes – Sangria is served cold, over ice. You can add more or less ice depending on the potency you want. 

Tapas – you need this too! You can’t drink sangria without a little noshy food, it’s criminal! 

OK, noshy is a made-up word that I love to use. So a definition is in order. Noshy means foods with the potential to be nosh.

Nosh Definition: (Origin: Yiddish) a snack or light meal

Sangria Y Tapas Are A Power Couple!

Sangria y tapas go together like white on rice. You can make a simple cheese board with one or two cheeses, some crostini and a little salami or prosciutto. Add a few olives and nuts in for good measure. Or you can try some of my tapas recipes.  

Here’s a very simple cheeseboard you can make:

• Manchego Cheese
• Tetilla Cheese (if you can’t find this cheese, substitute a mild cheese like mozzarella)
• Serrano Ham or Prosciutto
• Spanish Chorizo
• Spanish Olives
• Candied Walnuts
• Guava Marmalade

This fruity sangria recipe and the cheese board are quick and easy to put together and make for a lovely little party starter or date night. Cheers to you and yours!

Print