Tangy and slightly sweet with just the right amount of winter spice, this cranberry sangria is perfect for any holiday party! With just 5 minutes of work, you’ll have a delicious cocktail that everyone will love.
I am very firmly in the ‘cranberry lover’ camp. I love, love the sweet tartness of these little berries and use them for everything from cranberry cheesecake bars to cranberry bacon cornbread stuffing and even cranberry augua frescas during the holidays. I’m also a BIG fan of batch cocktails. While wine tends to be the natural choice at holiday gatherings, a good pitcher cocktail just feels so much more festive. Plus, since they can be made in advance, you still get all the ease of just pouring a glass of wine. It’s a win-win in my book!
This cranberry sangria is the perfect Christmas sangria in my book. It has red wine, cranberry juice, orange juice, cinnamon sticks, and spiced rum to make a balanced, slightly tart-yet-sweet drink that will definitely have your guests going back for seconds.
Holiday Cranberry Sangria Ingredients
You’ll need just a few ingredients to make this delicious cranberry sangria!
- Red Wine. We opted for red wine over white because we thought it paired better with the cranberry juice and it feels more festive! We recommend using a fruity, medium-bodied red like a merlot.
- 100% Cranberry Juice. Did you know that most cranberry juice is actually a blend of cranberry, apple, and sometimes grape juices? This is because, on its own, cranberry juice can be very tart. We call for just 1/2 cup here – a little goes a long way! Note that if you don’t use 100% cranberry juice, we recommend decreasing the amount of honey in the recipe.
- Orange Juice. Orange juice pairs perfect with the red wine and cranberry juice and adds just a hint of sweetness to the recipe.
- Honey. Honey is our sweetener of choice for sweetening drinks like this one because it dissolves easily and has a mild flavor.
- Spiced Rum. We went back and forth about what liquor to incorporate in this cranberry sangria, but we finally landed on spiced rum because it perfectly rounds out the flavors in this drink and adds just a hint of holiday cheer.
- Cinnamon Sticks. These go along perfectly with the spiced rum and add a little cinnamon spice to the sangria.
- Fresh Oranges and Cranberries. Finally, we garnish with fresh orange slices and cranberries. These add a little bit of flavor and look gorgeous in the glass.
How to Make Holiday Sangria
Luckily making this cranberry sangria requires very little effort! Just pour the wine, juices, rum, and honey in a pitcher and whisk to combine, making sure that you scrape the honey up from the bottom of the pitcher. Then, you can add in the fresh fruit and cinnamon sticks and refrigerate it. We like it best once it has been refrigerated for at least a few hours, but you can also serve it immediately over ice if you’re in a pinch!
More Drink Recipes That Are Perfect any Holiday Party
- The Harvest Sparkle
- Mulled Wine
- Homemade Eggnog
- Harvest Mule
- Dairy-Free Bailey’s
- Apple Cider Bourbon Sangria
Holiday Cranberry Sangria
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 100% cranberry juice
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 bottle red wine we recommend merlot
- 1/3-1/2 cup spiced rum to taste (may also use whiskey or brandy, if desired)
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 2 oranges sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Instructions
- Whisk the cranberry juice and honey together, then stir in the wine, rum, and orange juice.
- Add the oranges, cranberries, and cinnamon sticks, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to overnight.
- When you're ready to serve, pour over ice and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- We recommend using a 2 liter pitcher like this one for this recipe
Nutrition
Anxious to try this recipe.
Is it possible to make it booze free?
Any recommendations?
Sure! We haven’t tried it with this exact recipe, but you could try adding some sparkling water in place of the wine and rum!
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