The Sangria recipe
for your table
Put the fruit, sugar and brandy in a pitcher and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
Pour in the wine and orange juice and stir.
Leave covered in the refrigerator to infuse for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
Serve with plenty of ice and a splash of sparkling water; spoon some fruit into each glass.
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The story
As early as Roman times, inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula mixed their wine with water, herbs and fruit. Wine was safer than water. The name comes from 'sangre', blood, referring to its deep red color. For centuries, sangria was simply whatever was in the pitcher at family gatherings, until the 1964 World's Fair in New York, where the Spanish pavilion introduced it to America. Since then, sangria has been synonymous worldwide with the Spanish summer. In Spain itself, they more often drink the simple 'tinto de verano', but for guests they go all out.
The right glass
Sangria starts with a good pitcher: a 1.4- to 1.8-liter jug with a wide opening, so the fruit fits inside and is easy to scoop out. Pour it into sturdy wine glasses or tumblers filled with plenty of ice. A beautiful glass jug on the table is also half the presentation. Sangria is a drink you enjoy seeing together. You can find sturdy glasses that can withstand ice and fruit in our wine glasses.
Borgonovo Conic Pitcher 1.8 Liter
Nachtmann Noblesse Pitcher 116 cl
Together € 66,90.
The right tools
For a Sangria, in addition to the glass, you need a long bar spoon, a jigger for precise measuring, a citrus press, a nutmeg grater, and long ice sticks. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 86,70.
What do you use to make a Sangria?
For a Sangria, you need red wine. On every drink page, you can see the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails pair well with it, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
White sangria with white wine, peach, and grapes is the refreshing sister; cava sangria is the festive one. In winter, a red version with orange, cloves, and a splash of port works like chilled mulled wine. Golden rule: use wine you would also drink on its own. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Servingtip
Make the sangria a day in advance. The difference between infusing for two hours and overnight is enormous. Add the bubbles and ice only at the last moment, otherwise the party will become watered down.
Good to know
White sangria with peach and grapes
Replace the bottle of red wine with a dry white wine such as verdejo or albariño and leave out the cinnamon stick. Let the fruit follow the season: one peach cut into wedges, a handful of white grapes halved, and slices of lemon and lime. Keep the 5 cl brandy or use white rum or peach liqueur instead, and replace the orange juice with 25 cl apple or peach juice. Two tablespoons of sugar is still enough. White sangria infuses more quickly than red, so two hours in the refrigerator is sufficient and overnight is unnecessary.
Sparkling cava sangria
In Catalonia, they make the festive version with cava instead of still wine. Let the fruit steep with the sugar and 5 cl brandy for half an hour in 25 cl orange juice, and only add the ice-cold bottle of cava when the guests are sitting down at the table. Stir very little afterward. Choose a brut cava, as the sangria already contains sugar and fruit; a semiseco makes the whole thing syrupy. Skip the sparkling water this time and use less ice, otherwise the fizz will disappear within ten minutes.
Alcohol-free sangria
Use an alcohol-free red wine made from grapes, not grape juice, as it is far too sweet alongside the fruit and orange juice. Omit the 5 cl brandy and replace it with 5 cl of strong, chilled black tea, which restores the tannins missing from the 0.0 wine. Reduce the sugar to one tablespoon and taste before serving. Otherwise, nothing changes: the same fruit, the same cinnamon stick, at least two hours chilling, and a splash of sparkling water just before serving. Children can simply drink along, which is practical at a garden party.
Which fruit and how much per person
Oranges, lemons, and apples form the essential base; peaches, nectarines, strawberries, and grapes work well with it. Leave out bananas, melon, and watermelon, as they become mushy and make the pitcher cloudy. Cut citrus fruits into half-centimeter slices so the peel releases its flavor without becoming bitter, and remove the slices if the sangria sits for longer than eight hours. For quantities, allow for two 20 cl glasses per person: one bottle of wine with the remaining ingredients serves four to five guests.
What is sangria, exactly?
What is sangria? Not a cocktail you mix by the glass, but a mixed drink you prepare by the pitcher: wine, fruit, some sugar, and a splash of spirits, all chilled together. In terms of proportions, this recipe comes to three parts wine to one part orange juice, with 5 cl of brandy as an accent. This means you can easily prepare a pitcher of sangria in the morning and pour it in the evening. For sangria, use fruit that stays firm, so you enjoy the last glass just as much as the first.
Sangria with cava: the name and the fizz
The festive version with bubbles is called sangria de cava in Spain; online, you will also find it referred to as sangria cava or cava sangria, and it is always the same drink. Cava is Spanish sparkling wine that, like champagne, undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, usually made from the macabeo, xarel-lo, and parellada grapes. Pour the bottle along the side of the pitcher rather than into the middle, so you retain more fizz. Cut the fruit into somewhat larger pieces for this version, so it stays at the bottom.
Frequently asked questions
What is officially in sangria?
Red wine, fresh fruit, some sugar, and a splash of brandy form the base. Our recipe uses a bottle of tempranillo or garnacha, 5 cl Spanish brandy, 25 cl orange juice, two tablespoons of sugar, orange, lemon, apple, and a cinnamon stick, finished with a splash of sparkling water just before serving.
How do you make a good sangria?
First let the fruit soak in the sugar and brandy for fifteen minutes, then add the wine and orange juice and chill everything for at least two hours, preferably overnight. Add ice and sparkling water only when serving; see our pitchers.
What is the base of sangria?
Red wine is the base, preferably a smooth Spanish tempranillo or garnacha without heavy oak flavors. The golden rule: use wine you would also drink on its own. Fruit, orange juice, and a splash of brandy build on that, while time in the refrigerator does the rest.
Which fruit do you use in sangria?
Classically, orange and lemon slices and diced apple work well: they hold their shape and release flavor without falling apart. Peach, grapes, and strawberries are especially good in white sangria. Add soft fruit later, otherwise it will become mushy.
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