Christmas Sangria

Christmas Sangria is a rich and vibrant red wine sangria loaded with fresh fruit, warm spices, brandy, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, and served with club soda and ice.

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Glass Pitcher full of Red Sangria with oranges and Cranberries on a wooden kitchen board, half an apple, half and orange

This Red Sangria is the perfect Christmas Sangria for planned holiday celebrations, although it’s just as rewarding as any other time of the year! This stunningly bright red wine sangria is loaded with sliced oranges, whole cranberries, cinnamon sticks, sliced apples, whole cloves, Garnacha, Grand Marnier, brandy, simple syrup, and club soda. Simply add the ingredients to a glass pitcher, refrigerate, and serve with club soda and ice!

Glass Pitcher full of Red Sangria with oranges and Cranberries on a wooden kitchen board, half an apple, half and orange, red and white checked linen, white subway tiles in the background.

The brandy and liqueur in this sangria add an extra kick of boozy deliciousness while the dry red wine is balanced by the sweet Simple Syrup and fruit slices, while the cinnamon sticks and cloves provide a touch of warm spice.

This red Christmas sangria Recipe lives up to all sangria expectations and is even better the day after it’s been made and chilled! If you love sangria, be sure to also try Strawberry Sangria, Summer Peach Sangria, and Cranberry Sangria.

Sangria filled glass pitcher with sliced apples, oranges, cinnamon sticks, cranberries on a wooden kitchen board with half an orange, a bottle of Grand Marnier on a marble countertop.

Why You’ll Love Christmas Sangria

Making this vibrant and tasty sangria is incredibly easy – just add the ingredients to the pitcher, refrigerate, and serve with club soda and ice.
Christmas sangria is the perfect boozy drink that adds festive color and decoration to any holiday table.
Easily adapt this holiday sangria by using your favorite red wine, adjusting the sweetness, and increasing or decreasing the alcohol level for a stronger or weaker drink.

What Ingredients do I Need for Christmas Sangria?

Red wine – Use one standard bottle of your favorite red wine. Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, or Garnacha are great options.
Fruit – I’ve used 1 orange (sliced), 2 cups of whole cranberries, and 1 apple (sliced). Pomegranate seeds can also be added to sangria.
Spices – Cinnamon sticks and several whole cloves add a lovely warmth to this Christmas sangria.
Grand Marnier
Brandy – If you want to keep this sangria as authentic as possible, opt for Spanish brandy.
Simple syrup – This can be adjusted for the level of sweetness desired.
Club soda – Seltzer can be used instead of club soda, although it does have a plainer taste. Ginger ale is another great option.

Two wine glasses filled with Red Sangria on a wooden kitchen board, sliced orange, glass pitcher in the background, with white subway tiles.

PRO TIP: If you need to make this sangria ahead of time or foresee any leftovers, be sure to only use hardy fruits, not soft fruit, so that the fruit doesn’t deteriorate while in storage.

How to Make Christmas Sangria

PREP: Prepare the fresh fruit and then add the sliced orange, sliced apple, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and cloves to a glass pitcher. Pour the red wine into the pitcher, followed by Grand Marnier, brandy, and simple syrup.

Sliced apple and orange, cranberries and cinnamon sticks on a wooden kitchen board, a bowl of cranberries, an apple, red and white checked linen, a bottle of syrup, a bottle of Grand Marnier, a bottle of red wine, a whole apple on a marble countertop.

Glass pitcher filled with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, sliced apples and oranges, a glass decanter with red wine and half an orange on a wooden kitchen board, red and white checked linen, a bottle of Grand Marnier, white subway tiles as background.

CHILL AND SERVE: Stir the ingredients in the large pitcher and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (preferably 2 hours). Serve this Christmas sangria in serving glasses with club soda and ice.

Glass pitcher half filled with cranberries, cinnamon sticks, sliced apples and oranges, a long spoon, half an orange on a wooden kitchen board, red and white checked linen, white subway tiles as background.

The fruits I’ve used in this sangria recipe hold up quite well for extended periods of refrigeration and mixing. This is true for citrus fruits and stone fruits. If you change the types of fruits used to softer fruits like berries then you may want to avoid the sangria from sitting for longer than overnight as the fruit may become mushy.
Most sangria recipes will last for up to 5 days when stored in a sealed or covered jug in the refrigerator although the longer it sits, the greater the chance of your sangria losing its freshness and turning slightly sour from the wine.
If you do intend to store leftover sangria for a couple of days then I suggest removing any fruit that may look like it’s starting to get soft and mushy.
Using a clear glass pitcher or clear plastic jug is a must for showcasing your red sangria with all of the colorful fruits and added garnish!

Fun Fact

The history of the first Sangria is quite interesting and probably very different from what you’d expect. When the Romans conquered various regions and started their reign in Spain in 206 BC, they planted vineyards along their routes. The Liberian Peninsula was no exception. And since most drinking water during that time was considered unsafe for consumption, they would add alcohol to it as a means of killing off any bacteria.

Apart from cleansing water, the first sangrias are said to have also been created to water down the horrible table wine available during that time. The recipes were most likely a mix of water, table wine, spices, and herbs although absolute certainty about the exact sangria recipe emerging from that time is still somewhat unknown.

It’s been widely accepted by historians that sangria was first introduced to the Americas at the 1964 New York World’s Fair and has since evolved with numerous recipe variations.

Close up of glass pitcher filled with sangria, cranberries, sliced oranges on a wooden kitchen board, sliced oranges , apples, and cinnamon sticks on a marble countertop.

Variations

While I’ve opted to use a dry red wine when making this Christmas sangria, there’s also nothing preventing you from using sweet red wines. Just remember that using a sweet red wine will increase the overall sweetness of the sangria so you may need to reduce the amount of simple syrup added.
Add in more alcohol or reduce the amount for a weaker drink. You could also easily increase the quantity of club soda or add in some cranberry juice to dilute the kick of alcohol as an alternative to adjusting the alcohol quantities.
Softer fruit can be used in this sangria recipe but then I suggest that you don’t store the sangria overnight as the fruit can become mushy.
Other add-ins could include rosemary sprigs, fresh rosemary, or lime.
Pomegranate juice can be added to this sangria for extra depth of color and flavor, especially if you want to dilute the alcohol.

How Should I Serve This Red Christmas Sangria?

Serve your sangria over ice with pieces of fruit or additional cranberries, orange slices, and/or cinnamon sticks as extra garnish.

Can I Assemble this Drink Just Before Serving?

Sorry to break it to you, but sangrias are best after sitting in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, allowing the fruits and alcohol to blend and infuse. I’ve listed a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator, but it should ideally sit for 2-4 hours or even overnight!

It’s well worth planning a bit ahead of time than rushing and cutting corners on the chill time – you’ll thank me later!

Christmas Sangria

Why You’ll Love Christmas Sangria

What Ingredients do I Need for Christmas Sangria?

How to Make Christmas Sangria

Fun Fact

Variations

Other Fruity Boozy Drinks

Strawberry Sangria

Summer Peach Sangria

Classic Rum Mojito Recipe

Orange Lemon Gin Cocktail