Winter Fruit Sangria

Often when I think of sangria I think of summertime, relaxing outside with a sweet, fruity glass of sangria usually packed with fruit like peaches or strawberries. Sangria is one of my favorite drinks and there is really no reason just to enjoy it in the summer. Winter fruit sangria is a great switch from your sweeter summer sangria.

With winter sangria I like to let the wine be the show stopping ingredient, after all it is the main ingredient and you can’t make a really good sangria without a decent wine. I was  excited when Beso Del Sol Sangria, asked me to partner with them to create a sangria recipe, because there sangria serves as the perfect base for any sangria. I generally don’t like my sangria to be too sweet and I like that Beso Del Sol Sangria is a great tasting wine on its own.  With my winter sangria I opted to let fruit sweeten the sangria, rather than use soda, simple syrup or cider. I also tend to stay away from adding too much additional booze, I once went to a party where the sangria had everclear in it and that didn’t end well for anyone.

Winter fruit sangria is often my go-to drink when I need a drink to serve at a holiday party because it’s not too strong, everyone likes it and it’s easy to make it in a big batch or a small batch. This winter fruit sangria can be made in a big batch for a party or in individual glasses so that your guests can customize their sangria. Now before I tell you that Beso Del Sol sangria comes in a box let me mention that boxed wines have come a very long way, this is not the box wine that your roommate drank in college. Also a box of Beso Del Sol holds 3 liters of wine which means you won’t spend the party making batch after batch of sangria and opening more bottles, all the wine you need is there.

Big Batch Winter Fruit Sangria

3 liters Beso Del Sol Red Sangria

1/4 cup brandy

8 Clementines (6 juiced, 2 sliced)

1/2 Cup Cranberries

4-6 Cinnamon Sticks

In a large pitcher place cranberries and juice of 6 clementines, if you want it a bit sweeter juice a few more. You will be surprised by how much juice these little oranges produce. Add 1/4 cup brandy and top with Beso Del Sol Sangria. Finish by adding sliced clementines and cinnamon sticks. Serve chilled.

Single Serve Winter Fruit Sangria

6 oz Beso Del Sol Red Sangria

Splash of brandy

1 clementine juiced

5 cranberries

1 cinnamon stick

Combine ingredients as above and serve chilled.

I brought this winter fruit sangria to my Moms Club annual cookie swap and it was a huge hit, and I think the moms appreciated that the pregnant woman showed up with a cocktail, because while I can’t drink who am I to stop them from enjoying a great glass of sangria.

Whether your raising your glass to the holiday season or to school going back in January or need a big cocktail to serve at your super bowl party this winter fruit sangria is sure to please your crowd no matter how big or small.