Sangria infused with apple cider and all its warming spices is the perfect cocktail for the fall months. And a great way to use up any apple cider lingering in the bottom of the bottle. This versatile recipe is delicious with red or white wine. And fresh ginger root lends an enticing and unexpected zing.
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The Story
Apple cider spices play really nice with the ingredients for a traditional sangria. And you'll often see red sangria recipes that call for adding cinnamon sticks and whole spices to the mix. So why not splash in a bit of apple cider, too? It's got all those warm and cozy vibes. And adds a natural sweetness if it's a cider crafted from pure apple juice or made without added sugar.
So this recipe calls for ample whole spices, sliced oranges, and orange liqueur instead of the more traditional brandy. Fresh ginger root balances out the sweetness and lends a unique finish to every sip. And opting for real ginger instead of cloying ginger beer or ginger ale keeps the sugar level reasonable. But your glass, you're the boss. If ginger beer or ale is what makes you happy, splash it in right before serving.
The Ingredients
Sangria is a traditional Spanish wine punch. Keyword: wine. So when I set out to make sangria at home or for my clients, I do my best to enhance the wine. And try to avoid insulting it with heaps of sugar or diluting it with too much fruit juice or liquor.
- Wine, red or white, Spanish varietals recommended
- Apple cider, homemade or store-bought
- Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec
- Apples
- Navel orange or large variety orange
- Cinnamon sticks
- Allspice berries
- Whole Cloves
- Ginger root
What about sugar or simple syrup? Since apple cider brings plenty of sweetness to the pitcher, this recipe doesn't call for adding sugar or simple syrup. But you surely can if you like. In my professional experience, a quarter of a cup of simple syrup or about three tablespoons of sugar is plenty. If you like sangria sweeter, simply add a little more.
The Method
Sangria ages like fine wine (pun entirely intended). So the longer the wine, fruit, spices, and liqueur sit after mixing, the more delicious the sangria becomes. But if time is not on your side, you can add more spices and fruit to the mix to quicken the process.
- Chop the apples. Chop the apples into pieces small enough to sip, or so large they're unlikely to escape the glass. You don't want your guests fudging around with an awkward mouthful of fruit dripping with wine.
- Slice the orange. Slice the orange in half, then place the cut sides down and slice them into thin half-moons. For smaller orange slices, you can then slice the half moons into tiny triangles. Which also makes a sweet little garnish for the glasses.
- Peel and slice the ginger. To prepare fresh ginger, peel the thin skin off with the edge of a small spoon. You can also use a vegetable peeler, but I find a spoon easier with ginger's funky footprint. Then slice a two-inch-long piece of the peeled root into thin slices. For an incredibly pungent ginger-spiced sangria, you can grate the ginger with a microplane. If you do this, use half the amount called for in the recipe. And mix the sangria well to evenly distribute the ginger.
- Mix and marinate. Add the ginger root, cut apples and orange slices, wine, orange liqueur, and whole spices to a pitcher. Mix it well, especially if you added simple syrup or granulated sugar.
- Chill for four hours. The four-hour mark is when the sangria starts to get good. Less time chilling is better than none at all. And sangria mixed the night before is absolutely stellar.
- Serve chilled. Serve sangria chilled, especially white wine sangria. Garnish with slices of apple or orange, or both. To create a garnish with the apples that sit on the rim of a glass, slice the apple somewhat thin, then carve a tiny triangle out of the middle of the straight side.
Chef & Sommelier's Tips
- Choose your cider wisely. Many apple cider brands are made from apple juice concentrate which is sugar dressed up like an apple. For real cider with all those wonderful spices be sure to check the label (the spices should be listed, too). Or you can make your own simple and quick apple cider from pure apple juice. It takes about an hour and saves you all the chopping.
- Choose a Spanish wine. Since sangria's history is rooted in Spain, I recommend a wine with Spanish varietals (the grapes it's made from). For apple cider sangria with a red wine look for Tempranillo, Garnacha, Monastrell, or bottles labeled "GSM" which is a Grenache-Syrah-Mourvèdre blend (Mourvèdre is what the French call the same grape as Monastrell).
Fun Spanish whites for sangria include Albariño, Garnacha Blanca, or a Viura for its notes of apple and cinnamon (I personally love Albariño which I first tasted during my first sommelier course). Outside Spanish wines, Sauvignon Blanc - known as the "fruit cocktail of wine" - never disappoints in sangria. - Choose sweeter apples. The sweetest apple varieties like Honeycrisp work best for sangria. More sour green apples like Granny Smith won't jive as well. Look for Fuji, Envy, Ambrosia, Gala, and Red Delicious, too. Here's a handy breakdown from CMI Orchards on sugar levels in common and heirloom apple varieties.
- Go easy on the sugar. Adding a lot of sugar to sangria will dilute the tasting notes of the wine, fruit, and liqueur. And doctors agree consuming excessive refined sugar is detrimental to your health. So for every bottle of wine in a sangria recipe, I add no more than a quarter of a cup of simple syrup. And that works out to ten grams in each glass on average, assuming four or five servings. For a lower-carb sangria, skip adding sugar and swap in liquor for the liqueur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple cider sangria is most delicious when tailored to your personal preferences. Vodka, or even caramel vodka, lends a crisper mouthfeel (and a more potent drink). Whiskey and Bourbon are equally aromatic and play well with the orange especially (an Old Fashioned cocktail is proof). Apple brandy and even a cinnamon whiskey like Fireball pack an incredible punch!
Pinot Grigio is a lovely, light white wine with notable minerality. But it's not my first choice for sangria. While many Pinot Grigios sing of apple, it's often a greener, more sour apple flavor. Not a sweeter apple flavor. If you prefer white wine for apple cider sangria, I recommend a Spanish varietal like Verdejo. Or Sauvignon Blanc, an unoaked Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, or a Torrontes from Argentina for its ginger undertones.
Why, yes you can! You can mix up a delicious non-alcoholic apple cider "sangria" in a few different ways. The easiest one is to ditch the wine and liqueur and serve non-alcoholic apple cider brimming with fruit and whole spices. Topping the drink with sparkling apple cider is fun and kids love it. For a less sweet and more contrived mocktail, replace the amounts of orange liqueur in the recipe below with fresh-squeezed or cold-pressed orange juice. Then top off each drink in the glass with a splash of sparkling apple cider, ginger beer, ginger ale, or for an even less sweet drink, ginger-flavored sparkling water.
📖 Recipe
Apple Cider Spiced Sangria
Apple cider sangria infused with fresh fruit and ginger root is a fun drink for fall. This versatile recipe is mouthwatering with either red or white wine. The fresh ginger root lends an enticing and unexpected zing. But you can splash in ginger beer, ginger ale, or ginger-infused sparkling water if you prefer.
- Total Time: 10 minutes (4 hours inactive)
- Yield: 4 to 5 glasses 1x
Ingredients
- 1 bottle (750 mL) of red or white wine, Spanish varietals such as Tempranillo or Verdejo recommended
- 1 cup of spiced apple cider
- ½ cup of orange liqueur such as Cointreau
- 2 apples, diced small
- 1 navel orange, halved then sliced thin
- 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and sliced thin
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon of allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon of whole cloves
- ¼ cup of simple syrup, optional
For Simple Syrup
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- ½ cup of water
Instructions
- Chop the apples. Chop the apples into pieces small enough to take with a sip, around a quarter of an inch cube. Or much larger if you don't want fruit that can escape the glass when you drink.
- Slice the orange. Slice the orange in half, then place the cut sides down and slice each half into thin half-moons. Slice the halves in half again into tiny triangles, if you like. Save a few slices for garnishing the glasses.
- Peel and slice the ginger. To prepare fresh ginger, peel the thin skin off with the edge of a small spoon. You can also use a vegetable peeler, but I find a spoon easier given ginger's funky footprint. Then slice the peeled root into thin slices. For a stronger ginger flavor, you can grate the ginger with a microplane grater. But use half as much if you do this.
- Mix and age the sangria. Add the ginger root, cut apples, orange slices, wine, orange liqueur, and whole spices to a pitcher. Mix it well, especially if you added simple syrup or granulated sugar.
- Chill for four hours. Chill the sangria for at least four hours to let the flavors marry. Sangria mixed the night before serving is even more delicious and nuanced.
- Serve chilled. Serve sangria chilled, especially white wine sangria. Garnish with slices of apple or orange, or both. To create a garnish with the apples that sit on the rim of a glass, slice the apple somewhat thin, then carve a tiny triangle out of the middle of the straight side.
To Make Simple Syrup
- Combine the sugar and water in a small pot and bring it just to a boil. Stir to be sure all the sugar dissolves in the water.
- If you like, add a few whole spices like cinnamon sticks and whole cloves to the boiled syrup.
- Once cool, store any leftover simple syrup chilled for up to a few weeks.
Notes
Apple Cider Sangria Mocktail
The easiest mocktail version is to ditch the wine and liqueur and serve non-alcoholic apple cider brimming with fruit and whole spices. And you can top the drink with sparkling apple cider (beware of the added sugar!). For a more contrived mocktail, replace the amount of orange liqueur in the recipe with fresh-squeezed or cold-pressed orange juice. You can also splash ginger beer, ginger ale, or for no added sugar, ginger-flavored sparkling water.
On the Liquor
I often switch up the liquor and liqueur depending on what I have on hand. Brandy is traditional, and sometimes I substitute it in for half of the amount of the orange liqueur. Vodka, or even caramel vodka, makes for a fun, festive, and more potent cocktail. Whiskey and Bourbon are equally aromatic and play well with the spices and especially the orange. Apple brandy and cinnamon whiskey pack an incredible punch from all angles!
On the Nutrition Information
The nutrient amounts below include the wine, orange liqueur, and apple cider as listed in the recipe. It doesn't include any of the fruit or simple syrup, since consumption will vary. If you add a quarter cup of simple syrup to your sangria, that will work out to about 10 grams of sugar added to each 7-ounce serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours (inactive)
- Category: Drinks
- Method: Mixology
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Diet: Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 7-ounces
- Calories: 121
- Sugar: 13.4 g
- Sodium: 3.3 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.6 g
- Fiber:
- Protein: 0 g
- Cholesterol:
Keywords: apple cider sangria, spiced apple cider sangria, apple cider sangria with ginger, apple cider sangria mocktail
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Marian
We made this with bourbon and a little ginger beer and it was so good! Definitely added all the simple syrup but I like cocktails on the sweeter side.
Chef Christina
Love the bourbon! Thanks for reading, Marian.:)
Brandi
Been loving this for my cold winter weekends! Delicious.
Chef Christina
Yes, Brandi! I agree it's the best in the fall and winter. Thanks for reading, glad you like it:)