How to Make Christmas Sangria

For those who are wondering if a pitcher of sangria deserves a spot at the holiday table, let me ask you this: Wine not?

Though the Spanish and Portuguese drink seems like a summer staple, don’t fret. There are plenty of ways to put a Christmas spin on your favorite punch, and they’re definitely cause for a holly, jolly celebration. Chances are, once you start experimenting in the kitchen, Santa will request a glass of your concoction in lieu of milk, and we can’t say we blame him.

If you’ve had one too many sips of eggnog and the hot chocolate isn’t cutting it at this point, the time is officially wine o’ clock. Here are a few ways to make sangria taste a little more appropriate for the winter season.

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First things first: Get bubbly.

The combination of red wine, brandy, simple syrup, and oranges that comprises sangria is certainly beloved, but that’s no reason you can’t spice things up with a new take on the recipe. The holiday season is definitely a time of celebration—and a time when a sparkling drink is in order. Instead of using a Merlot as your base, try a little Prosecco or champagne instead.

Take this recipe from Sweet Peas and Saffron for example. Denise, the creator of the make ahead meal prep site, uses a white wine and champagne for her Apple, Pear, and Pomegranate Sangria—completely winterizing the formula. The teaspoon of ground nutmeg really adds a perfect touch.

Sweet Peas and Saffron

Get the Apple, Pear, and Pomegranate Sangria recipe.

Bakeaholic Mama’s take on sangria calls for white wine, simple syrup, and Triple Sec, along with rosemary, oranges, and lemons. It just screams “Merry Christmas,” if you ask me.

Bakeaholic Mama

Get the Pomegranate and Rosemary White Sangria recipe.

Step two: Embrace seasonal favorites.

Just as the fall gets the pumpkin treatment, winter experiences a blast of cinnamon from all directions. Use that to your advantage when making your sangria. Joyful Healthy Eats uses the traditional red wine as the main ingredient for the sangria, but tops everything off with wintery goodness such as pomegranates, pears, and—most importantly—two sticks of cinnamon. Swirl the sweet, fruity goodness around with one of these babies and you’re in business.

Joyful Healthy Eats

Get the Ultimate Winter Snagria recipe.

Step three: Find new fruit.

Just because the classic sangria recipe calls for oranges doesn’t mean you need to put them in your recipe. When cranberries, apples, pears, and pomegranates make their seasonal debut on the food scene, now’s the time to switch things up.

Cake N’ Knife’s Christmas Sangria (with white wine) calls for cranberries and Granny Smith apples, if you’re looking for an alternative to oranges.

Cake N Knife

Get the Christmas Sangria recipe.

Likewise, WhitBit’s Kitchen’s White Christmas Sangria recipe includes pears and apples and tops off the festive punch with jicama.

WhitBit

Get the White Christmas Sangria recipe.

Step four: Swap out the brandy.

The red wine-brandy combo in sangria isn’t strict—especially if you’re looking for a different approach to the drink. Flavour & Savour’s Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria actually requires Triple Sec or another orange liqueur instead of brandy, so this is proof that rules were made to be broken. In the name of a wintery punch, we’re willing to let a few things slide.

Flavour and Savour

Get the Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria recipe.

Step five: Enjoy it all.

Chowhound offers a way to make a delightful Spiced Cranberry Sangria, and it’s certainly a great way to utilize the above steps and turn the summer drink on its head. Merry Christmas, everyone.

Chowhound

Get our Spiced Cranberry Sangria recipe.

For more tips, hacks, and recipes, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas and Holiday Entertaining Headquarters.

Related Video: How to Make Delicious Sangria Using Cranberry Sauce

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