Happy Thanksgiving!

Lately, I’ve been making batch after batch of my Fall Sangria, sharing it with colleagues, family, and friends. It was such a hit, I have been asked to share the recipe many times! So I figured today was a good day to share both my own original recipes and a few recipes from around the internet.

For those of you who don’t know, traditional sangria is a Spanish drink made with red wine mixed with fruit, spices, and sometimes lemonade. However, sangria has come to mean a blend of wine fortified with hard liquor to which fruit is often added. My first ever sangria was in a Peruvian restaurant in Brooklyn, and it changed my life. Every party since has included some version of sangria, and along with playlists, it’s the thing I’m most likely to bring to your party, too!

Through endless trial and error (and a lot of tasting), I have been perfecting my sangria recipes over the years, and below are my two absolute favorites. Disclaimer: my sangria recipes tend to be a bit different (and less sweet) than traditional sangria. First, I am not a fan of brandy or rum, and I don’t love how mixing tequila and wine makes me feel, so instead, I usually make my sangria with vodka. Second, I never, ever add sugar. My Fall Sangria does involve honey, but that’s as far as I go.

Regarding wines, I typically go with the Rex Goliath label when making sangria. They’re inexpensive, they come in magnums, and they’re generally inoffensive. You may, of course, substitute the wine of your choosing. (F.Y.I., a 1.5 liter bottle = 2 standard-sized 750 ml bottles)

Fall Sangria:
1 1.5 liter bottle of merlot or cabernet
1 1.5 liter bottle of chardonnay
2 cups Martinelli or other fresh-tasting apple juice
2 cups orange vodka (you could also use apple vodka, ginger vodka, or plain vodka)
2 ounces of ruby port (optional, but I think it adds something)
3/4 cup honey
2 naval oranges, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tart apples, peeled and cubed
2 cinnamon sticks (you may substitute 1 tsp ground cinnamon)
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients, then let sit for at least overnight (2 days is the optimal time) to give the flavors time to blend. Strain out cinnamon sticks and fruit, then add the fruit to each glass. Tastes like autumn!

Summer Grapefruit Sangria:
1 1.5 liter bottle of sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio
1 1.5 liter bottle of pink moscato or other sweet blush wine
2 cups grapefruit vodka (plain or cucumber vodka also works well)
2 cups pink grapefruit juice (fresh is preferable, but I like to use the juice from a jar of no-sugar-added pink grapefruit slices like this because it tastes more like fresh grapefruit)
1 can of original Fresca
Pink grapefruit slices
White (green) seedless grapes, split in half

This one, you don’t have to make ahead, though you certainly could. It’s so easy (and so popular), I often find myself making batch after batch during a summer party.

Now, onto some recipes by other folks. Enjoy!

• Traditional Red Sangria (Minimalist Baker)
• Sparkling Champagne Sangria (Sally’s Baking Addiction)
• Jalapeno Sangria (The Bitter Socialite)
• Black and Blue Berry Sangria (Food Network Kitchen)
• White Sangria With Mango and Berries (Downshiftology)
• Sangria Slushies (Delish)
• Starfruit Sangria (Epicurus*) *not a misspelling
• Rosé Pomegranate Sangria (Barefoot Contessa)
• Aperol Vanilla Rosé Sangria (Serious Eats)

What is it they say at the end of alcohol commercials? Oh, yes. Please drink responsibly.