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White Cranberry Holiday Sangria

November 27, 2013 by Molly 8 Comments

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I have a festive cocktail for you today.

It’s perfect for serving to your holiday guests – no shaker required. Just whip up a pitcher of this and serve it all day long. Couldn’t be easier!

This sangria is wonderful for this time of year…which is weird to me because when I think of sangria, I think of summer. It strikes me as a warm-weather drink. Maybe it’s just me.

It’s just that sangria is usually light and crisp and chock-full of yummy fruit. These characteristics pair perfectly with those of warm summer evenings…complete with lightening bugs, burgers on the grill, lingering sunsets, and…ankles covered in mosquito bites. Er, sorry for that last visual, but it’s true for me! I’m their victim of choice.

Anyway.

In recent weeks, I’ve seen many variations on standard summery cocktails, like margaritas, that have a seasonal twist.

Not that I need to be talked into drinking a margarita in the dead of winter! Margaritas, no matter when consumed, remind me of warm sun and bowls upon bowls of chips and salsa. Mmm. Nothing wrong with that when it’s freezing outside!

Aside from the margarita, however, I struggle with drinking summery drinks at this time of year. I mean, you won’t find me with a mai tai in hand after Labor Day (likewise with my white cranberry cosmos after March).

This cocktail challenges my notion of seasonally appropriate drinks. It is warm, effervescent, and punchy all at once. The addition of ginger liqueur gives it that warm spiciness we all know and love this time of year, and the bright flavors of apple, cranberry, and lime keep things fruity and balanced.

It’s also incredibly easy to make (and make ahead, which is ideal for any holiday gathering).

Ingredients You Need for this White Cranberry Holiday Sangria:

  • Dry white wine
  • Apple brandy
  • Ginger liqueur
  • White cranberry juice
  • Lime juice
  • Granny Smith apples
  • Lime slices
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Frozen cranberries
  • Ginger ale or club soda

How to Make this White Cranberry Holiday Sangria:

  • At least one hour before you want to serve, combine the wine, brandy, liqueur, and lime juice in a large pitcher or punch bowl.
  • Add in sliced apples and limes and a couple cinnamon sticks.
  • Transfer the pitcher/bowl to the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour (longer is even better – you can make this up to two days ahead and keep it in the fridge).
  • When you are ready to serve, add the frozen cranberries to the mix and give everything a good stir.
  • Pour into glasses, making sure to get some of the fruit, and top each glass off with ginger ale or club soda for some effervescence. So easy and delicious!

Tips & Tricks for this White Cranberry Holiday Sangria:

  • Ensure you give yourself enough time to have this chill. We want the flavors to meld, and this will taste better the longer it hangs out in the fridge. I recommend a minimum of 1 hour, but longer is better. You can make this up to two days ahead of time and keep it in your fridge until you are ready to serve. Add the cranberries and bubbly component just before serving.
  • I believe cocktails of all kinds should be a “to taste” situation. So, if you prefer a sweeter drink, you could sweeten this with a little maple syrup. Or, if you prefer something less sweet, you can add more dry white wine to the mix. The liqueurs and white cranberry juice have quite a bit of sweetness on their own, so adjust the quantities as needed to meet your preference.
  • You can switch up the fruit here, if you prefer. The combination of Granny Smith apples, limes, and cranberries are a great match for the other flavors going on here. That said, sliced pear and lemon would also work great. Pomegranate arils would be a very pretty addition, as well.
  • To set up the ideal sangria serving situation, I recommend having your pitcher or bowl on a table with glasses, napkins, bowls of extra apple slices and lime wedges, and bubbly options alongside. This allows your guests to serve themselves and fix their glasses however they prefer. Sangria is a wonderful hands-off hosting option!

So, while I’m calling this a “holiday” sangria, feel free to make it year-round. Just like those margaritas. No judgement from me.

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White Cranberry Holiday Sangria


  • Author: Molly
  • Total Time: 4 minute
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (750-mL) bottle of dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup apple brandy
  • 1/2 cup ginger liqueur (I used Domaine de Canton – ginger brandy would also work)
  • 2 cups white cranberry juice
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 Granny Smith apples, sliced
  • 1 lime, sliced
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 cups frozen cranberries
  • Ginger ale, for topping off the glasses (club soda works too)

Instructions

  1. Combine the wine, brandy, ginger liqueur, white cranberry juice, and lime juice in a large pitcher or punch bowl. Stir well to combine.
  2. Add the sliced apples, lime, and cinnamon sticks. Give a good stir and then transfer the mixture to the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour (longer is better – you can make this mix a day or two ahead).
  3. Just before serving, add the frozen cranberries to the mixture. They will keep everything cold.
  4. Pour the mixture into chilled glasses, along with some of the fruit. Top each glass off with ginger ale or club soda for some effervescence, and serve.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour (includes chilling time)
  • Cook Time: None
  • Category: cocktails

Keywords: white cranberry holiday sangria, white holiday sangria, christmas sangria, holiday sangria, white cranberry sangria

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Related

Filed Under: Drinks, Fruit, Recipes Tagged With: apple, booze, brandy, cocktail, cocktails for a crowd, cranberry, ginger, holiday cocktails, holidays, libations, sangria, white cranberry, white wine, wine

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Comments

  1. Catherine Haggarty says

    November 27, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    Molly, I am going to make this tomorrow for thanksgiving, thanks for posting. although I am thinking of possibly using pear instead of apple…I love Canton Ginger Liquor, its one of my favorite additives!
    I am going to take out the qpple liquor though because I don’t like sweet too much, with the ginger I think it will be good enough for me. I will let you know how it goes! thanks for posting! Happy turkey day!

    Reply
  2. Molly says

    November 27, 2013 at 4:25 pm

    Awesome! Pears should work great! Hope you enjoy 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kaitlyn says

    April 18, 2014 at 5:59 pm

    What size bottle of wine did you use?

    Reply
    • Molly says

      April 19, 2014 at 11:24 am

      A standard 750 mL bottle

      Reply

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