two glasses of christmas sangria, a hand taking one from a wooden tray

Christmas Sangria

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freegluten freenut freevegan

This easy Christmas sangria recipe is made with red wine, brandy and spiced simple syrup. It’s topped with sparkling seltzer water for the best party cocktail. Garnish with rosemary for a festive look. Makes 1 pitcher – about 8 servings.

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What do you drink on Christmas?

I love a good sangria. It’s the perfect party cocktail because you can make it ahead of time. Red wine is my favorite, but adding fruit and a little sweetness always makes for a crowd-pleasing drink. Especially when you don’t want to be mixing cocktails all night long. That makes anything in a pitcher the perfect choice.

What alcohol is in sangria?

I based this recipe off of my simple red sangria, but it’s really inspired by my love for vin chaud – hot mulled wine that is served in French Christmas markets and was a favorite of mine when we lived there. Since this holiday sangria is best served cold, I made a homemade cinnamon spiced simple syrup to spice things up. I also used a bit of brandy  because I think it goes best with those spicy flavors.

a pitcher of christmas sangria garnished with fruit, cinnamon stick and rosemary sprig
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What you’ll need to make this holiday sangria

glass of red christmas sangria garnished with a rosemary sprig and cinnamon stick sitting on a wooden serving tray, two glasses and a small plate of fruit in the background

How to make Christmas sangria

Make the simple syrup. I recommend making the spiced simple syrup for this holiday sangria in advance. Like, 24 hours or more in advance. Not only does this make your life easier the day you want to make the sangria, it also give the syrup a little more time to steep and develop more flavor. I normally make mine about 3 days ahead of time.

It’s just equal parts sugar and water (1 cup each), heated on the stove until it’s perfectly clear. Then you toss in some cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Bonus points if you throw in a star anise while you’re making it. If it’s not an ingredient you have on hand, don’t worry about it.

Prepare your pitcher. Chop all of your fruit and mix your sangria the morning you’re going to serve it. This way, the fruit gets to hang around in the wine and sweeten it. Any sooner, and you’ll likely end up with unappealing fruit. For my Christmas sangria, I like to use frozen cranberries. I usually have some leftover from Thanksgiving, so it’s perfect for Christmas.

Add some sparkles. Top it off with 2 cans (about 3 cups) of sparkling seltzer water. You can use club soda, but I just prefer the flavor of seltzer. Wait to do this until right before you’re going to serve your sangria, and only add it straight to the pitcher if you plan on drinking the whole thing. Otherwise fill your glasses 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full of sangria and top with seltzer instead.

close up of a glass of red christmas sangria garnished with a rosemary sprig and cinnamon stick sitting on a wooden serving tray

Everything you need to know about Christmas sangria

What is the best red wine for sangria?

For sangria, opt for a fruity and medium-bodied red wine or a versatile red blend. Of course, make your choice based on personal preferences, but consider the mix of fruits, sweeteners, and spirits used in the sangria when choosing your wine.

How alcoholic is a sangria?

As a general estimate, homemade sangria will have an alcohol content that is similar to whatever wine you choose to use. You will add some spirits but then you will also dilute the wine and spirits with fruit juices and club soda. It’s important to remember that the actual alcohol content and the strength of sangria can vary from batch to batch.

Can you leave fruit in sangria overnight?

For this Christmas sangria we have chosen hearty fruits that can withstand soaking overnight. Once the fruit has been added it is important to keep the sangria chilled to ensure everything stays fresh for serving, but skip the bubbles until you are ready to serve.

overhead shot of glass of red christmas sangria garnished with a rosemary sprig and cinnamon stick sitting on a wooden serving tray, two glasses and a small plate of fruit in the background

More sangria recipes you’ll love

More Christmas recipes

Christmas Sangria

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 servings
This easy Christmas sangria recipe is made with red wine, brandy and cinnamon simple syrup. It’s topped with sparkling seltzer water for the best holiday party pitcher cocktail. Garnish with rosemary for a festive look.

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle red wine
  • 1/2 cup spiced simple syrup see notes
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1 chopped apple
  • 1 sliced orange
  • 1 cup cranberries
  • 2 12- ounce cans sparkling seltzer water or club soda
  • Fresh rosemary

Instructions

  • In a large pitcher, combine wine, orange juice, simple syrup and brandy. Stir to combine.
  • Add fruit and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Add seltzer water to pitcher before serving (or top each glass individually) over ice. Garnish with fresh rosemary.

Notes

To make spiced simple syrup: combine sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and transfer to a mason jar. Add 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 whole cloves. Refrigerate for for 24 hours to allow flavor to develop. Remove cinnamon and cloves before using.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal Carbohydrates: 26g Protein: 0.4g Fat: 0.1g Sodium: 27mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 22g Vitamin C: 19mg

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Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another Cocktail Blog, a cocktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.

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