Cranberry Sangria Recipe
Cranberry Sangria is a perfect cocktail for the holiday season. This delicious holiday cocktail is made with wine, pomegranate liqueur (or brandy), orange liqueur, cranberry juice and some club soda.
Every holiday celebration need a delicious holiday drink.
With all the holiday parties coming up, you will need to serve a festive cocktail to your guests. I have just the right cocktail for you right here. It is so delicious! It has great cranberry flavor from including fresh cranberries simmered with sugar. This cocktail is rich but not too sweet so it will compliment a nice variety of appetizers as well as desserts.
For this cranberry sangria, I suggest that you use sweeter, full bodied red wine. Since this sangria is made with fresh cranberries, fruity medium or full bodied wine will bring out more flavor of the berries. Try using Zinfandel, Beaujolais or Shiraz.
If you want to play around with flavor, try using apple juice instead of cranberry juice. You can also cut up some fresh apple slices or orange slices and add them to the pitcher right after preparing the sangria.
How To Make Cranberry Sangria
In a small pot, combine cranberries, water, and sugar stir well. Bring to simmer over medium heat and lower the heat to low. Cook, covered, until most of the cranberries are soft, some will be mushy but try not to get them all mushy.
Take off heat and let it cool. Transfer cooled cranberry mixture into the pitcher and add pomegranate liqueur, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and wine.
Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
Add club soda right before serving and stir it in gently. You can add some more fresh cranberries as a garnish, and/or orange slices, apples slices, or cinnamon sticks.
What Red Wine To Use
I recommend using a rich, full bodied red wine with fruit notes. My favorite wines to use in a red sangria are Zinfandel, Malbec, Bordeaux, Petite Sirah, Beaujolais, Shiraz or Pinot Nior.
Make sure you love the taste of the wine you use! Even through there are other ingredients added, the wine is still very important.
What Liquors To Use
I’ve make cranberry sangria with both, brandy and pomegranate liqueur. Brandy is more spiced and warm while pomegranate liqueur is more fruity. Decide which you like yourself.
Orange liqueur is a great aromatic, sweet and fruity addition. Choose triple sec, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or another orange liqueur of choice.
Some More Holiday Drink Recipes
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Cranberry Sangria Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh cranberries
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 750 ml sweeter red wine*
- 4 oz pomegranate liqueur or brandy
- 4 oz orange liqueur
- 8 oz cranberry juice
- 10 oz club soda
Instructions
- In a small pot, combine cranberries, water, and sugar stir well. Bring to simmer over medium heat and lower the heat to low. Cook, covered, until most of the cranberries are soft, some will be mushy but try not to get them all mushy.
- Take off heat and let it cool.
- Transfer cooled cranberry mixture into the pitcher and add pomegranate liqueur, orange liqueur, cranberry juice, and wine.
- Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- When ready to serve, add club soda right before serving and stir it in gently.
- As a garnish, you can add some more fresh cranberries, and/or orange slices, apples slices, or cinnamon sticks.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in December 2014.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Why did you change this recipe? I have made this every Christmas and now it has different ingredients!! Can you please post the original with the cranberry vodka!?? Thank you.
Made Cranberry Sangria this Christmas Day for my friend. Everyone loved it. And it’s a great conversation piece.
That is awesome, Naira!! I’m so glad everyone liked it and that you had a good time 🙂
Thank you!
Made Cranberry Sangria on Christmas Day for my friends…what a success! Conversation piece. Everyone loved it.
What a gorgeous drink! I ADORE this and bet it tastes amazing, too! Definitely perfect for this holiday season.
Thanks for sharing my recipe as another one for folks to check out, too. Always fun meeting new bloggers and getting to see what they’re making!
What an absolutely gorgeous drink, friend!! Cheers to YOU!
Absolutely breathtaking — and the drink sounds pretty good too 🙂 Your photography is beyond description — you certainly are an inspiration for perfection. It isn’t easy capturing liquids and you did an excellent job. The drink is on my to do list.
What a beautiful Christmas drink! Love the color! This is so perfect for easy entertaining!