Apple Cider Sangria (White Wine)

three stemless glasses of apple cider sangria garnished with cinnamon sticks on a marble tray

Why I love this apple cider sangria recipe

I don’t know about you, but I love a good pitcher cocktail. They’re great for prepping ahead of time, and perfect for entertaining.

Since we’ll all be entertaining a lot more when the holidays roll around, I thought it might be nice to have a more fall-friendly version of my favorite pitcher cocktail – sangria.

And, the apple cider margaritas I made last year turned out so well, that I knew I had to something else with cider.

closeup of three glasses of sangria for fall

Here’s what you’ll need to make this apple cider sangria recipe

Equipment

Liquid measuring cup
Measuring spoons
Large glass pitcher
Wine glasses

More sangria recipes: red sangria / rose sangria / moscato sangria / Christmas sangria / non alcoholic sangria

Ingredient Notes

Apple cider – For the best flavor, you’ll want to use the fresh pressed, unrefined kind if you can get it. It should look slightly cloudy, and it can found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store (bonus points if you get yours from a local orchard!).

pitcher of sangria with apples and cinnamon sticks

White wine – I used a crisp riesling for this recipe, and you can use any type of white wine you like. Just don’t use anything overly sweet because we’ll be adding sugar.

Brandy – This is an awesome addition to this recipe, and you can amp up the flavor even more by using a flavored brandy if you want. I think a ginger or apple brandy would be fantastic in this recipe, but I didn’t have any on hand.

How to make apple cider sangria

Chop your apples. I like to use a mix of green and red apples because I think it’s prettier, but you can use whatever you have or prefer.

Other than removing the stem and core, you can chop them however large or small you like. You could even do slices.

chopped apples and cinnamon sticks in a glass pitcher

how to make white wine sangria with apples

Put in all in a pitcher. Add your fruit and cinnamon sticks to the pitcher and top with wine, apple cider, brandy and sugar. Stir to combine.

Let it soak. Put the pitcher into the fridge and let it sit overnight. This allows the flavors from the fruit and cinnamon sticks to come out, and it let’s the fruit soak up all the boozy goodness that’s in the wine.

If you don’t have that much time, you can still make this sangria recipe, just soak it as long as you can.

Top with club soda before serving. You can add this to the pitcher itself or add it to individual glasses before serving, depending on whether or not you’ll use up the whole pitcher – you don’t want to end up with flat sangria.

If you want your sangria to be a little sweeter, try using ginger ale or lemon lime soda instead of club soda. Or you can use a flavored seltzer water for a little something extra.

adding apple cider to a pitcher to make fall sangria

adding sugar to white wine apple cider sangria

FAQs and tips for making the best fall sangria

What’s the best white wine for sangria?

I used riesling for this recipe, but any white wine would work. Use whatever you prefer to drink, but don’t waste an expensive bottle on sangria either. I typically buy something in the $6-10/bottle range when making sangria.

How long do you soak sangria?

Ideally, you want to soak sangria overnight for the flavor of the fruit (and in this case, cinnamon) to flavor the wine. If you’re crunched for time, a few hours will do just fine, but the flavor will be less pronounced.

How do you serve sangria?

I like to serve my sangria in wine glasses with a few ice cubes, and it’s usually already cold from being in the fridge overnight.

How long does sangria last?

You can keep this fall sangria recipe in the fridge for up to 5 days. After that, the fruit will start to turn and you should probably toss it. Always use your best judgment.

hand taking a apple cider sangria garnished with a cinnamon stick from a marble tray

More apple cider drinks:

More apple recipes you’ll love: