Colourful and refreshing — nothing spells summer like an ice-cold blend of wine and fruits. Sip your way through the heat with these ten refreshing sangria recipes.
Although a Spanish sangria shines in its classic form, there are scores of fun recipes that are just as delicious. We round up a few that would make you the talk of any pool party.
The world’s tryst with boozy punches, particularly sangria, began with the Romans in 200BC, where they used red wines from Spain frequently. Eventually, this trend caught on across Europe with the addition of brandy and a range of different fruits being added to the mix to make it more refreshing and delicious. By the 1700s, the beverage was everywhere, including romance novels and important galas.
Today, sangrias are popular across brunch spreads and pool parties and make for a refreshing alternative to more common cocktails on scorching summer days. And although the boozy concoction is technically meant to be made with red wine (“sangre” translates to blood in Spanish), there are several other quirky renditions that will change your mind. Not to mention, they’re a fun switch up from the usual wine and fruit affair. From citrusy mimosa to tropical piña colada, here’s a roundup of the most delicious and fun sangria recipes.
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Classic Red Sangria
We’re starting this list off with an authentic recipe that you can’t go wrong with. Featuring ingredients like apples, oranges, orange juice, lime, brown sugar, and brandy (or rum), this one’s got a sweet, easy-to-drink quality to it. Add a bold, dry Spanish red wine like tempranillo, garnacha, or rioja to the mix along with ice and you’ve got yourself the perfect sangria for a hot summer’s day. Make this ahead of time if you’ve got a party to host to allow the flavours to develop.
Cucumber Melon Sangria
The only thing more refreshing than sangria on a scorchin’ day is one that spotlights cucumber and melon. This recipe calls for sweet white wine, gin, simple syrup, club soda, honeydew melon, and cucumber slices. Light on the palate, with sweet and tart notes, this recipe is elevated by the addition of mint leaves and club soda. Besides, it’s ridiculously easy to whip up.
Iced Tea Sangria
This recipe marries two classic summer refreshments – iced tea and sangria. On the list of ingredients are sweet wine wine, iced tea, honey, strawberries, and peaches. Mangoes add a tropical twist to the blend. The best part? It only takes a little under a minute for you to whip this up. And if you’ve always enjoyed long island iced teas, this boozy blend is about to be your new favourite.
Pina Colada Sangria
A tiki drink that also doubles up as sangria – this one will take you straight to the tropics! You’ll only need five ingredients for this: pineapple juice, moscato wine, chopped pineapple, maraschino cherries, and coconut rum. Feel free to use canned versions if you can’t get your hands on fresh fruits, but always make ahead of time for a deeper flavour. This recipe makes enough to serve a large group. If you’re short on time, use chilled wine and add a lot of ice to individual serving glasses instead of the pitcher to avoid it being too diluted.
Watermelon Sangria
Watermelon is truly the quintessential fruit for summer, so it’s only natural that it fits right into a sangria recipe. To whip this one up, you’ll need watermelon juice, white wine, vodka, triple sec, lime, oranges, and blueberries. Be sure to chill this for about four hours before serving. For a bit more flair, add extra fruits before serving. On scorching hot days, this blend will keep you going.
White Wine Vodka Sangria
This sangria is as stunning as it is delicious. On the ingredient list are limes, fresh raspberries, kiwis, citrus vodka, raspberry vodka, white wine, and soda water. You could switch between pinot grigio, sauvignon blanc, or moscato for the wine. The sangria takes is incredibly easy to whip up and the payoff is a light, fruity, and mildly tart concoction that will shine at any event, whether it’s an elegant soiree or a wild pool party.
Apple Cider Sangria
Tart and sweet with hints of spice — we know it’s summer all year round here but you’ll love the autumnal flavours in this one. You’ll need to steep pears, apples, and lemons in apple whiskey, brandy, and apple cider for a few hours before adding in Prosecco or sparkling wine to the mix. You could switch out the apple whiskey for any whiskey you’ve got at home. Whip this one up for intimate gatherings, group dinners, or just when you need a warm hug in a wine glass.
Strawberry Lemonade Sangria
What’s summer without lemonade? This all-time favourite beverage gets a boozy kick in this easy-to-follow recipe that calls for moscato wine, vodka, ginger ale, lemonade, fresh strawberries, and lemons. Tart and sweet, the resulting blend will have notes of orange blossom and honeysuckle from the addition of the wine and makes for a great punch for entertaining. Be sure to use a large pitcher so as to not overcrowd the ingredients and allow the concoction to chill until you see a change in the colour when the juices are released from the strawberries.
Mimosa Sangria
The classic tart brunch cocktail meets sweet sangria in this delicious recipe. You’ll need to stock up on orange liqueur, champagne, and orange slices for this. The strawberry slices and pineapple chunks pack on the tartness while adding a unique sweet twist to the usual mimosa flavours. All you need to do is add the fruits to a pitcher before topping it all off with liqueur and alcohol. Your brunches will never be the same!
Mango Sangria
A great way to make the most of the mango season is to add the creamy, sweet fruit to a whole host of unique recipes. This particular blend is a crowd-pleaser. It features raspberries, raspberry liqueur, lemon soda, mangoes, and rose wine. The flavour is fruity, sweet, and slightly tart, and works perfectly with a host of salads and small bites. Plus, this is a recipe from Martha Stewart herself, so you won’t really go wrong here. Bring this one to a brunch or a pool party — you’ll be transported straight to the tropics.
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.
Eshita Srinivas
Senior Digital Writer - Entertainment and Food & Drinks
Eshita is a food, alcohol, travel, and entertainment writer who spends her days zeroing in on the next big trend to write about. She’s a communication graduate with bylines in Conde Nast Traveller India, GQ India, Deccan Herald, and Girls Buzz. When not at work, you’re likely to find her hunting for a good read or charting out the perfect itinerary for a solo trip across Asia.
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