Enjoy the abundance of cherry season with a favorite cherry sangria recipe. Fresh cherries, oranges and grapes make this sangria look as amazing as it tastes.
Sangria is the famed drink served throughout Spain and Portugal in the summer months. It is traditionally made with red wine and the white wine versions are often referred to as sangria blanca. I suppose I should call this sangria blanca, but that would likely just confuse everyone since it looks red. I’m going to stick with just “sangria”.
This cherry-orange sangria is a wonderful drink to serve a crowd. It’s festive and attractive looking. The possibilities are endless when it comes to the added fruit and it tastes amazing.
Sangria makes inexpensive wines more festive, feed the thirst of a crowd easily, and look gorgeous on a bar or table. I can’t think of another reason not to make it.
When warm weather hits, it’s time to chill out with a delicious adult beverage. Might as well enjoy a glass of this lemon drop martini, red, white and blue sangria, an icy hibiscus margarita or frozen peach margarita.
Cherry Sangria
Cherries work really well in sangria because their flesh is hardy. When your glass is empty, the cherries are wonderful to snack on after they have soaked up some of the alcohol. They still have a nice crunch to them too.
I really recommend making two pitchers because this disappears quickly!
Ingredients
When it comes to necessary alcohol for this sangria recipe, you’ll need a bottle of dry white wine (does need to be expensive), brandy and Cointreau.
You will make a batch of simple syrup and use the whole thing.
As far as produce, fresh cherries, oranges, grapes, plums and limes are recommended.
How to Make It
Make your simple syrup first so it has time to cool completely.
You’ll start by combining all the alcohol and simple syrup in a large pitcher.
Add some of the fruit to the alcohol mixture and refrigerate between 12-16 hours.
Stir sangria and just before serving add oranges and limes.
Fill glasses with ice and use a slotted spoon to add fruit from the pitcher to each glass. Pour liquid over ice and fruit and serve.
How to Make Simple Syrup
For the simple syrup, add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until sugar is dissolved.
Cool completely.
Additions/Substitutions
You can easily change up the fruit in this recipe and keep the base the same.
- Blueberries
- Blackberries
- Raspberries
- Peaches
If the fruit is soft, like raspberries, do not add until serving time.
Can I Make with Red Wine?
You can and if you do, you’ll also want to sub out the orange for cranberry juice cocktail since orange juice and red wine are not a match taste wise. In fact red wine and orange juice acidity would be all over the place.
Make sure to use a glass large enough to accommodate lots of fruit.
It’s best to ladle out some of the fruit into each glass and then pour the liquid mixture over the top.
Cheers!
Serving Suggestions
- Roasted Garlic Bruschetta
- Avocado Caprese Bites
- Hot Italian Dip
- Lemon Pepper-Rosemary Marcona Almonds
The Best Cherry-Orange Sangria
Ingredients
Cherry Sangria:
- 1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine
- 1-1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (about 8 oranges)
- 1 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup Cointreau
- simple syrup*
- 1 lb fresh cherries, pitted
- 2 cups red seedless grapes
- 2 plums sliced into wedges
- 2 oranges sliced in wedges
- 1 lime sliced in wedges
Instructions
Cherry Sangria:
- To a large pitcher add white wine, orange juice, brandy, Cointreau and simple syrup. Stir well.1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine, 1-1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice (about 8 oranges), 1 cup brandy, 1/2 cup Cointreau, simple syrup*
- Add cherries, grapes and plums. Chill for 12-16 hours. Stir sangria and just before serving add oranges and limes (adding them before will add a pithy-rind taste to the drink).1 lb fresh cherries, pitted, 2 cups red seedless grapes, 2 plums sliced into wedges, 2 oranges sliced in wedges, 1 lime sliced in wedges
- Fill six glasses 1/2 full with ice and use a slotted spoon to add fruit from the pitcher to each glass. Pour liquid over ice and fruit and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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