This red sangria is the ultimate cocktail indulgence. Packed with fresh fruit and sweet, vibrant flavor, it’s a Spanish sangria that is as much fun to make as it is to drink.
It serves beautifully for parties, and it’s easy to create a non alcoholic sangria too!
What do you think makes the ultimate, classic Spanish sangria? For me, it comes down to the perfect blend of sweet and dry. It’s a delicious, satisfying twist to your favorite wines and cocktails.
Sangria is a fun way to introduce your friends and family to an authentic Spanish drink. To make it a classic Spanish sangria I use a dry Spanish wine, but you can use whatever wine you want to make it your own!
Just like any other classic Spanish food and drink recipe, sangria is all about the flavors. This is a delicious blend of fruits, juice, rum and wine. This recipe takes just a few minutes to make, too!
Red Sangria
Switch up your summer drink menu with this classic sangria recipe. It will be a hit with you and all your guests this summer!
Why You’ll Love It
Ingredients and Substitutions
See printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Dry Spanish Wine – See below for our suggestions for the best Spanish reds to make this sangria.
- White Rum – Keep it simple here, as this cocktail is more about the flavor of the wine and fruit. Choose an inexpensive white rum. You can also sub with brandy!
- Simple Syrup – you can purchase or make your own with equal parts sugar and water
- Orange Juice – You can use your favorite type of OJ. We often choose a lighter low sugar variety for this recipe.
- Sliced Fruit – We tend to use fresh limes, lemons, strawberries and oranges, but you can use whatever fruits you have on hand.
Variations
- To create a non alcoholic version of this sangria, simply add sparkling grape juice instead of the wine.
- Club soda or even Fresca can replace the rum in this recipe. A little carbonation goes a long way to making this feel special for kids and adults who are abstaining.
- Fruit – Substitute the fruit in this recipe with your favorite! Try apples, raspberries, blueberries and more!
Tools to Use
- Glass Pitcher
- Glasses for Serving
How to Make
- Add rum to a pitcher.
- Add fresh sliced fruit.
- Add simple syrup.
- Add wine.
- Add orange juice.
- Stir. Refrigerate 2+ hours to allow it to marinate.
Tips
- You can easily make this amazing Spanish Sangria a non-alcoholic sangria. Simply use grape juice in lieu of Spanish wine.
- The wine you choose for sangria shouldn’t be expensive. Let the fruity flavors shine and save your good bottles for drinking as they are meant to be!
- Don’t add ice to your sangria pitcher – it will melt too quickly and water down the cocktail. Add it to individual glasses as you serve, if you’d like.
- For a fun spin, freeze some fruit ahead of time and use that instead of traditional ice cubes! It will chill your sangria but keep it from becoming watered down.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any dry Spanish wine you enjoy will do. Using your favorite wine will yield the best results. If you love it when poured simply on its own in a wine glass, you’ll enjoy it in sangria!
For authentic sangria, select a dry red (rioja) like Tempranillo or Garnacha. Choose an inexpensive red table wine!
Traditionally, red wine has a higher alcohol content than white wine. So yes, your red sangria feels a little stronger because it is!
Serving Suggestions
- This delicious punch recipe is beautiful when served in a beautiful large pitcher (preferably clear glass). It allows the colors of the wine and fruit to truly shine!
- Another great option for serving your sangria is a traditional punch bowl! Again, this allows the colors of the wine and fruits to showcase their beauty. It’s an easy way to serve a crowd.
- You can also serve a crowd with a large lidded drink dispenser. This is an ideal solution for serving outdoors, as it eliminates the worry about unwelcome visitors landing in your sangria.
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – Don’t leave your sangria out for more than two hours while serving.
- Refrigerate – Sangria can usually last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, though the fruit will become softer with time.
- Freeze – Make a red sangria slushy! Store your leftover sangria into an airtight container, frothing it in your blender to enjoy as frozen sangria later.
More Cocktails
Easy Red Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 bottle dry Spanish red wine (25 ounces)
- 1½ cups white rum
- 3 tablespoon simple syrup
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 orange sliced or wedged
- 1 lime sliced or wedged
- 1 lemon sliced or wedged
- 6 ounces strawberries fresh, sliced
Instructions
- Combine ingredients into a large pitcher.
- Stir.
- Refrigerate 2+ hours to marinate.
Julie’s Tips
Tips
- To make simple syrup, combine equal parts sugar and water. Heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Make Non-Alcoholic Sangria – use sparkling grape juice instead wine or substitute with cranberry juice or orange juice, and replace rum with club soda or fresca.
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – Don’t leave your sangria out for more than two hours while serving.
- Refrigerate – Sangria can usually last in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, though the fruit will become softer with time.
- Freeze – Make a red sangria slushy! Store your leftover sangria into an airtight container, frothing it in your blender to enjoy as frozen sangria later.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Yum! I love any flavor sangria! This sounds like a must asap.
I just had this with some girl friends last weekend and it was amazing!!
Love the gorgeous colors in this punch–it looks perfect for summer!
This was a really good non-alcoholic drink! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Making this again over the weekend. It’s so tasty!