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If you’re looking for the ultimate fall party drink — this is it. This Apple Cranberry Sangria is fruity, refreshing, and just sweet enough without going overboard. It’s made with red wine, triple sec, cran-apple juice, and fresh apples, oranges, lemons, and cranberries. Add cinnamon sticks for fall flavor and top it off with club soda for bubbles right before serving.
This easy apple cranberry sangria is one of my favorite fall cocktails pitcher recipes because you can make it ahead for holiday gatherings or Friendsgiving.
Why You’ll Love It
- It’s easy to scale for a crowd.
- It’s a make ahead sangria! It actually gets better as it sits.
- It’s a holiday sangria that looks impressive in the pitcher.
- It has all of the perfect fall flavors without being too sweet.
For the Sangria:
- Red wine: something like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Red Blend
- Cran-apple juice
- Triple sec (or orange liqueur like Cointreau)
- Apple: I like to use honeycrisp.
- Orange
- Lemon
- Fresh cranberries
- Cinnamon sticks
To Serve:
- Ice (optional): can serve it without if it is well-chilled.
- Club soda
How to make Apple Cranberry Sangria:
The full, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Add the fruit to a large pitcher. Add the sliced apple, orange rounds, lemon rounds, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks.
- Pour in the liquids. Add the red wine, cran-apple juice, and triple sec. Stir gently to combine.
- Chill. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.
- Finish & serve. Right before serving, stir in the club soda for bubbles. Serve over ice (optional) with extra fruit in each glass.
Tips for the Best Sangria
- Add the bubbles last so they stay fizzy.
- Don’t use expensive wine. A drinkable ~$8–$14 bottle is perfect.
- Thin slices = more flavor. Slice apples and citrus thin so the juices release.
What to serve it with:
- Garlic Butter Steak Bites — a satisfying main dish if you want something meaty with the sangria.
- Chicken Apple Salad — includes apples and pecans; echoes the apple in your sangria nicely.
- Easy Tortilla Casserole — a fun, relaxed dinner option that pairs well with drinks and hanging out.
- Broccoli Crunch Salad — a crunchy salad with broccoli, dried cranberries & almonds.
If you make this Apple Cranberry Sangria, let me know! It’s one of those drinks that just works for fall, it would be the best sangria for Thanksgiving — and it looks awesome in the pitcher. Cheers to weekend hangs and chill fall nights with this festive cocktail!
Apple Cranberry Sangria
Equipment
- Pitcher (for serving)
- Sangria Glasses (for serving)
Ingredients
- One 750ml. bottle of red wine
- 2 cups cranberry apple juice
- 2 medium honeycrisp apples, sliced (can leave the peel on)
- 1 medium orange, sliced
- 1 medium lemon, sliced
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- ¼ cup triple sec or Cointreau
- 4 whole cinnamon sticks
- cold club soda
- garnishes: sliced apple, cranberries, cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Into a pitcher, add the red wine, juice, apples, orange slices, lemon slices, triple sec and cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Pour into glasses to serve and top each serving with a splash of club soda. Garnish as desired!
Nutrition
This recipe comes from RecipeBoy.com
