Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Sparkling Christmas Sangria

I'm no mixologist, but I make a pretty mean Sparkling Christmas Sangria. It's time for a holiday partay y'all!

Sparkling Christmas Sangria in a glass pitcher with a glass next to it



This recipe makes a big batch, but it can easily be halved for a party of four.

sliced pear, apple, and halved cranberries sitting in a glass pitcher


First, muddle slices of red apple, green apple, pear, and halved cranberries. Aren't the colors just gorgeous?

fresh sliced apple, pear, and cranberries in a glass pitcher with red wine and cranberry juice



fresh sliced apple, pear, and cranberries in a glass pitcher with red wine and cranberry juice


Mix in a bottle of red wine and a bottle of 100% cranberry juice. Cover and refrigerate overnight for the flavors to meld.

Sparkling Christmas Sangria in a glass pitcher with a glass next to it


When you're ready to serve, mix in some spiced rum and some simple syrup to taste. The ratios I use are in the recipe below. I make my mixture a little sweeter than I like it so that it balances out when I add the club soda. If you don't like yours sparkling, mix in less simple syrup.

For a big party batch I mix up my preliminary wine mixture in a large plastic pitcher and then pour it into a pretty drink dispenser before adding in the simple syrup, rum, and club soda. For a half batch, I just use my favorite glass pitcher and everything fits nicely into it.

Merry Christmas folks!

Sparkling Christmas Sangria
(serves 10 to 12 people)

Ingredients
1 red apple, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
1 pear, sliced
1 cup cranberries, halved
1 bottle red wine
1 64 oz bottle 100% cranberry juice
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
6 oz spiced rum or to taste
1.5 liter bottle club soda or sparkling water, cold

DIRECTIONS
1. Dump fruit into a large pitcher and muddle, or smash up, with a wooden spoon.
2. Mix in the wine and cranberry juice, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
3. Make a simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small pot over medium low heat, stirring often, until sugar is completely dissolved. Pour into a sealable container and refrigerate overnight as well.
3. Pour sangria mixture into your drink dispenser along with the fruit.
4. Mix in the rum and about 8 oz of the simple syrup.
5. Pour the club soda down the side of the container to preserve as many bubbles as possible. Stir carefully.
6. Taste and add in more simple syrup and rum to taste.

* This recipe is easily halved for a smaller dinner party and should fit nicely into a pretty glass pitcher.

Sparkling Christmas Sangria Pin

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