A cheery and bright red wine sangria filled with strawberry and pomegranate.
CHEERS! We’re here. The Friday before Christmas. I have no clue where this past month went. Oh, that’s right. I spent most of it holed up in my kitchen baking the world cookies and toffee and cupcakes. When I finally took a break from butter and sugar and frosting, I made a pitcher of this sangria for date night. Date nights are still going strong! It feels good to forget about technology one night a week. Says a full-time blogger who even has an IG account for her dog. Typical.
We drank an embarrassing amount of this ourselves as we put up our tree. Merry Christmas indeed!
If you’re looking to entertain these last couple weeks of the year and not just drink at home by yourself – that’s ok too – then you have to try this sweet, yet tart sangria. It’s perfectly fruity and festive and uses two of my favorite fruits.
The sangria was much better than I expected it to be. Sure, I knew it would be tasty because I love all things wine (hello sign that I need), but the sweet strawberries paired with pomegranate juice and my favorite pinot noir? Magical. It tastes likesparkling pomegranate juice with strawberry.
Here’s the pinot noir I use. And no, this brand has no idea I exist. But if they’re reading… hi… I love your wine. I find it everywhere, it’s inexpensive, smooth, and tasty on its own.
You don’t have to use pinot noir. If you’re more of a Cabernet drinker or if a Spanish red like Tempranillo is your sangria wine of choice – you may absolutely use one of those instead. If white wine is your favorite, that’s a great option too. However, keep in mind that a sweeter white wine, such as Reisling, may make the sangria a little too sweet. I use red because I find it pairs well with pomegranate. But play around with what you like; this sangria recipe is very forgiving.
Not Something I love about sangria is that it feels fancy, but it’s one of the easiest big-batch cocktails you can throw together. And sangria always impresses! Only 5 ingredients total: strawberries, pomegranate arils (the juicy seeds), pom juice, wine, and club soda. The club soda is key! Kevin and I found that the sangria was a little… dull… without it. The POP of club soda really brightens the whole glass up. I would avoid sweetened fizzy drinks like tonic or sprite; the sangria may be a little too sweet with it. Make sure you add the club soda right before serving because it will lose its fizz otherwise.
You can use any variety of pomegranate juice you can find. The most easily available pom juice is POM Wonderful pomegranate juice. They don’t know I exist either. I see this stuff everywhere and it’s really, really good. I know that Ocean Spray makes a cranberry pomegranate juice which would be just as tasty too.
My #1 sangria tip: Sangria gets better and better as it sits, so make it ahead of time. That’s the beauty of this cocktail! The more time the strawberries and teeny tiny arils have to infuse their juices, the better. I usually make sangria in the morning before I need it in the evening. You can make it the night before, too. If pouring wine at 6am isn’t your ideal way to start the day. (Uh, why not???)
My favorite part about this sangria is eating the wine infused strawberries when you’re all done. Strawberry pomegranate sangria is the merry little drink that keeps on giving.
After a long week, I can’t think of anything better. Holidays, strawberries, wine.
A cheery and bright red wine sangria filled with strawberry and pomegranate.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb strawberries, sliced plus more for garnish
- arils (the seeds) from 1 pomegranate
- 2 (750ml) bottles red wine1
- 2 cups pomegranate juice2
- club soda, to taste
Directions:
Place the sliced strawberries and arils in a large pitcher. Add wine and pomegranate juice. Allow to sit in the refrigerator for 6 - 24 hours. Taste; if you'd like it to be sweeter, add 1-2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, honey, or agave.
Pour the sangria with fruit into glasses and add a splash of club soda to each glass (this unsweetened fizz is excellent with the sangria!). Garnish with a strawberry, if desired. Feel free to add ice to your glasses of sangria. Do not add ice directly to the pitcher - this waters the sangria down. Which, clearly, we don't want! Cheers.
Additional Notes:
Traditional sangria often includes brandy, but I did not care for its addition in this sangria. If you'd like to add some, go ahead.
- Use your favorite red wine. I like to use Pinot Noir or a Spanish red wine like Tempranillo. I prefer red wine in this sangria. However, if white wine is your favorite, that's a great option too. Keep in mind that a sweeter white wine, such as Reisling, may make the sangria a little too sweet.
- The most easily available pom juice is POM Wonderful pomegranate juice; I see it all the time in grocery stores. I know that Ocean Spray makes a cranberry pomegranate juice which would be just as tasty
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