For Day 4 of Thanksgiving Week we’re taking classic sangria and giving it a thanksgiving twist with lots of fun fall flavors. It’s simple to make, perfect for a crowd, and can be made with either red or white wine!
Let’s make sangria!
To start, we’re going to assemble our fall flavors to infuse the sangria: apple and orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and thyme.
Then, we pour our liquids on top of them in a pitcher: a bottle of crisp, dry wine (white or red- I’ve tried this sangria with both and love them equally!), cold pressed apple cider, and apple brandy (you can omit the brandy if you don’t like your sangria too strong, but I really like the warm flavor it imparts here!).
Then, the two get a big stir, and get tucked into the fridge to hang out for an hour or two (or a day or two) before being topped with sparkling water, and poured into glasses.
The end result is a sangria that’s sweet, but not overly so. The cranberries help to mellow the natural sweetness of the cider and oranges, and the cinnamon and thyme add a subtle hint of thanksgiving flavor that compliments the meal oh so well.
If you’re looking for a fun drink to serve at Thanksgiving this year, I think you’re going to LOVE this simple, festive fall-inspired sangria.
Stay tuned this week for three more brand new Thanksgiving recipes, as well as the Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup on Monday, November 25th full of all of my favorite thanksgiving starters, sides, mains, drinks, and desserts!
As always, if you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below, or take a picture and tag me on Instagram so I can see all your Thanksgiving recipes in action!
Apple Cider Sangria
Time: 60 minutes
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1 large apple
- 1 navel orange
- 1/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 4 sprigs thyme, plus more for garnish
- 750ml bottle of dry white or red wine
- 2 cups cold pressed apple cider
- 1/2 cup apple brandy
- 2 cups sparkling water
Instructions:
- Thinly slice the apple and orange, and place them in the bottom of a large pitcher.
- Cut the cranberries in half and add them to the pitcher along with the cinnamon sticks and thyme sprigs. Pour wine, cider, and brandy into the pitcher and stir to combine.
- Place the pitcher in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days) before topping with sparkling water, stirring once more, and serving.