18 Winter Sangrias Your Christmas Party Needs
This is how you spread holiday cheer.
The weather outside may be frightful, and the fire (or our central heating) so delightful, but that doesn't mean we're foregoing our favorite summer cocktail: sangria. These winter sangria recipes are our favorite way to start a party, so we've got plenty that are sure to keep that party going from Christmas until New Year's. Just be careful, our jingle juice can very quickly get you on the naughty list. 😉
The key to making a large batch of sangria comes down to mixing your ingredients in the right order: alcohol first, then flavorings, then any fruit or bubbly at party time. The beauty is that you can truly make-your-own-adventure in terms of flavors. We took all our favorite festive winter flavors (like cranberry, apple, and citrus) and added them to the summertime staple. That said, once you try these recipes, we won't be surprised if you want to make a batch of pumpkin pie sangria and cranberry-apple sangria all year long too.
Wishing you were somewhere warm and tropical this Christmas? We've got sangrias that will transport you instantly from a white Christmas to a white sandy beach. Our Piña Colada sangria, our white wine sangria, and our rainbow sangria recipes are like a vacation in a glass.
For more holiday drinks, check out our favorite Christmas punches, champagne cocktails, whiskey cocktails, and martini recipes too! And if you really need some warming up, our hot cocktails are just the thing.
Christmosas
Packed with all our favorite winter fruits, this is the only thing you need in your hand while you open presents. Great for a late-night Christmas Eve party or early Christmas morning.
Get the Christmosas recipe.
Red Sangria
Fruity, refreshing, and perfect for serving a crowd, sangria is one of our go-to cocktails to enjoy all year long. While we love this classic combination of fruits, spices, and wine for summer, we’ve also included all of our top tips on how to vary this wine cocktail to winter too.
Get the Red Sangria recipe.
Cranberry-Apple Sangria
Apple cider is THE go-to when it comes to taking summery sangria into the colder months, but it can be a little sweet. Pair it with cranberry juice to keep it tart, and you can drink this all fall and winter long.
Get the Cranberry-Apple Sangria recipe.
Cold Brew Sangria
Be sure to drink this cold brew black—the fruit, Cointreau, and simple syrup sweeten things up, so you won't even miss milk or cream.
Get the Cold Brew Sangria recipe.
Jingle Juice
We love a punch at the holidays, as it cuts down on bartending time, and they're almost a little too easy to mix up! You'll be hearing jingle bells in no time with this sweet-tart big-batch Christmas cocktail.
Get the Jingle Juice recipe.
Virgin Cranberry Basil Sangria
Sangria without the wine? Yes, please. The fruit is the real star in this big-batch drink—use whatever’s in season and get creative with the combination (think cranberries, orange slices, and rosemary for the holidays).
Green Apple Moscato Sangria
For fans of Olive Garden's signature sangria, this copycat will blow your minds: Believe us, it might be even better than the original. We packed ours with fresh fruit, but for winter, skip the berries and put the focus on those tart green apple slices.
Get the Green Apple Moscato Sangria recipe.
Fireball Sangria
Kick your red wine sangria up a notch with some Fireball! The cinnamon whiskey is the perfect transition into fall cocktails. If you can't find blood oranges, use cara cara or more navel oranges instead.
Get the Fireball Sangria recipe.
White Wine Sangria
Sangria is the way to go for big-batch cocktails. The classic drink only needs 5 things: wine, liqueur, fruit, sweetener, and something bubbly. You can customize and pick your favorite of each, and you'll have your own sangria recipe that you'll be sure to love.
Get the White Wine Sangria recipe.
Rainbow Sangria
Layering fruit in the glasses makes for the prettiest sangria presentation. If you don't want to bother, add it to the pitcher—the sangria will still be pretty. Layer in your favorite red and green fruits (like kiwi, green apple, strawberry, or raspberry) to take this in a festive direction!
Get the Rainbow Sangria recipe.
Apple Cider Sangria
Sangria might make you think of warm summer nights and tropical fruits, but this apple-based cocktail will have you ready for the holidays. Here, we went for a white wine sangria, rounded out with spicy ginger beer and sweet apple cider.
Get the Apple Cider Sangria recipe.
Pumpkin Pie Sangria
White wine, sparkling cider, and pumpkin pie vodka combine in this surprisingly refreshing cold weather cocktail. Don't have pumpkin pie vodka? Try substituting other pumpkin-flavored liquors, like rum or whiskey, or adding additional pumpkin pie spice to the drink itself (and not just on the sugared rim).
Get the Pumpkin Pie Sangria recipe.
Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria
Sparkling wine, apple cider, and Fireball combine to make the perfect sangria to drink (especially when you serve them alongside our Fireball poke cake 😉).
Get the Sparkling Apple Cider Sangria recipe.
Moscato Apple Sangria
We look for an excuse to put apple cider into everything during the fall and winter, and this sangria is our best use yet. It's perfect for entertaining—your friends will love you for it!
Get the Moscato Apple Sangria recipe.
Moscato Sangria
The secret to the best white wine sangria? Moscato, of course! We added lemon-lime soda and seltzer for some bubbles, but both are optional.
Get the Moscato Sangria recipe.
Piña Colada Sangria
Something about the holidays makes a quick trip to the tropics sound like a very good idea, so we combined sangria with our favorite warm weather sipper—a piña colada.
Get the Piña Colada Sangria recipe.
Rosé Sangria Floats
This rosé recipe is at the delicious intersection of cocktail and dessert. When you need to feel like you're somewhere tropical this winter, these sangria floats will do the trick.
Get the Rosé Sangria Floats recipe.
Sangria Jell-O Shots
Nothing gets a party going quite like Jell-O shots or sangria, so we combined the two into one dangerously good, very boozy treat. Cheers!
Get the Sangria Jell-O Shots recipe.
