This easy red wine sangria recipe for a crowd is delicious for a party, any time of year. Ingredients like red wine, brandy, Triple Sec, orange juice, and fruit make the perfect drink blend. This red wine punch is easy to make ahead and gets better with time.
Your going to love this pitcher drink for entertaining. Serve it for an appetizers & sangria party or wine theme ladies night. And of course it always goes great with a party cheese board or Mexican party ideas.
This is one of the easiest party drinks you can serve, and it’s easy to make a big batch ahead of time. In fact this would be wonderful to take to a tailgating party.
Even people who don’t typically drink wine seem to enjoy a glass of sangria. I guess it’s all that fruity goodness that’s added to it, and sipping it over ice.
Easy red sangria
What makes a sangria recipe so good is that you add boozy liqueurs with wine and fruit, then let it sit for a few hours so the flavors can combine and mellow.
Ingredients & substitutions
Red wine – some of my favorite wines to use are Merlot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Malbec.
Orange juice – this is the classic juice to use in red sangria. Use pulp-free for a smoother texture.
Brandy – brandy is a liquor produced from distilled wine so it’s slightly sweet. It can add extra depth but you can make sangria without brandy by substituting with something like Cognac, or another fruit flavored liqueur.
Orange liqueur – use Triple Sec for this because it’s very affordable and also goes in margaritas! For a fancier style use Grand Marnier.
Sparkling juice – I love to add bubbles to sangria just before serving so it has some sparkle and effervescence. Use sparkling cider, or sparkling grape juice. You can also substitute with sparkling water or sparkling wine.
Fruit – fresh fruit is an integral party of sangria drinks. For this one we add sliced oranges, lemons, and Italian black cherries.
PARTY TIP: For best results make this 2 to 5 hours ahead so the ingredients can mingle and mellow.
You can also make it the night before a party, just know that it will look a little more cloudy. The taste though, is *chef’s kiss* perfection!
What to eat with red sangria
Cocktails always taste better when they’re paired with food. Not to mention it helps to soak up the alcohol. Here are some tasty options to try.
- Chips, Mexican layer dip, salsa, guacamole
- Enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, burritos
- Nachos or quesadillas
- Brownies or churros
More sangria recipes
I’m sure there are a million different sangria recipes. But here are a few of my favorites.
- Apple sangria is tasty for fall
- Delicious spiced rum sangria tastes great year ’round.
- White peach sangria is fantastic for spring and summer!
- Find a delicious white pear sangria recipe in this game day party.
- And if you want to try a hot version, this mulled wine is perfection.
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Classic Red Wine Sangria Recipe for a Crowd
Classic red wine sangria makes a great party pitcher drink. It's easy to make ahead for a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 Bottles {750 ml} or 1 large bottle (1.5 liter) Merlot wine
- 1 cup OJ
- 1 cup brandy
- 1/2 cup orange liqueur {Triple Sec}
- 1 bottle {750 ml} sparkling cider
- Sliced oranges, lemons, and blueberries
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and keep chilled until ready to serve.
- For best results, refrigerate overnight and add sparkling cider just before serving.
laura londergan says
oh my yum – pinning this to make soon This is a FAVE of mine! Looks great! 😉