Pomegranate Citrus Sangria
A winter red wine sangria for your holiday merriment— with pomegranates and oranges, cinnamon, and a heavy splash of brandy.
Sangria is one of my favorite party drinks, whether I’m gathering with just a few friends or a large group. It’s quick and easy to make ahead of time, and it’s always a hit!
This pomegranate citrus sangria is so festive, and perfect for holiday and wintry celebrations. With flavors of pomegranate, orange, and just a hint of cinnamon, it’s a delicious balance of sweet, fruity and spice.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Red wine
- Brandy
- Pomegranate juice
- Freshly squeezed orange juice
- Fresh pomegranate arils/seeds
- Cinnamon stick
Choosing a red wine for this sangria
You don’t have to be super picky when it comes to choosing wine for sangria but there are some things to consider. It should be fruity and inexpensive, but taste good all on its own. Choose something you like!
Look for a light to medium-bodied red wine that’s fruity with low tannins. Pinot Noir, Malbec, Zinfandel, and Grenache are all great options.
Tips for making pomegranate citrus sangria
- Orange varieties like cara cara, satsuma, clementine, tangerine, etc. will all work well in this recipe.
- The cinnamon stick will continue to intensify the cinnamon flavor in the sangria the longer it sits. If you want a lighter spice flavor, add in the cinnamon an hour before serving.
- Other whole spices like cloves and anise would also be delicious additions to this sangria.
- You can use packaged pomegranate seeds, or you can de-seed your own pomegranate. This is a very helpful tutorial!
- If you like your sangria to have a little fizz, add a splash of ginger ale to each glass before serving.
- This recipe can easily be doubled!
More festive drinks to try
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This recipe was originally published December 2013.
Pomegranate Orange Sangria
Ingredients
- 1 bottle red wine (750 ml)
- 1 cup brandy (237 ml)
- 1 cup pomegranate juice (237 ml)
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (237 ml)
- 1 orange , thinly sliced
- 1 pomegranate , arils removed
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- In a large pitcher, stir together the wine, brandy, pomegranate juice, and orange juice. Add orange slices, pomegranate arils and cinnamon stick. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Of desired, serve over ice.
19 Comments on “Pomegranate Citrus Sangria”
Um, why did we not make this beautiful drink this past weekend?!!! Gorgeous!!
Because I’m a moron, clearly! Come back and I’ll make you as much as you want. 😉
Haha! Me too. I find beaut recipes of drinks on Pinterest all the time and then I click on the link and sadly, yup no. Alcohol. But I’m good at changing recipes to nonalcohol. @Annalisa
This sounds amazing and looks beautiful! I love pomegranate margaritas…so this is the obvious winter drink for me 😉
I like the recipe. I will try it.
Woow this sangria looks beautiful. Love the colours
I was quite intimidated by pomegranates until this video. It’s MUCH easier than using the water method! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ7dk9nDR-k
Had to ask a dumb question…what is proper etiquette for pomegranate seeds. I’ve figured out how to get the seeds out of the skin but haven’t been able to figure out how to use them in recipes without spitting seeds!
Hello, do you think you could use a red moscato instead or is the cabernet a must?
Thanks 🙂
You can certainly use whatever kind of wine you like and I’m sure it will still be delicious. That’s the great thing about sangrias! But since moscato is a sweeter wine than cabernet, you might think about adjusting the other sweeter ingredients like the pomegranate juice and brandy. Totally up to your palette though. Enjoy!
i want to make this for Christmas gifts. How long after I make the drink does it need to be consumed? If it’s left in a bottle, how long can it be left alone?
Hi Aggie! I would recommend consuming the sangria within a few days. Red wine doesn’t seem to last that long once opened.
How would you go about making this non-alcoholic? You grape juice and sprite maybe?
If I were to make a non-alcoholic punch inspired by this recipe I would probably use cranberry juice in place of the alcohol. Make sure it all chills together for a while so the flavors have a chance to mingle and intensify. If desired, add cold ginger ale, sprite or club soda right before serving.
Tell me about the cinnamon… I’m a little nervous to add it. I make sangria a lot but have never tried one with a spice. I’m making for Christmas dinner for tomorrow and am not sure they will like the cinnamon. Is it strong?
Hi Heidi, I apologize for the slow response. I’ve been on holiday with my family. The cinnamon is a very mild flavor, but will intensify the longer you let the sangria sit. If you’re unsure about it, you can always leave it out.
Just wondering how long do you think it could last in the fridge? Like I wanna glass to try it tonight but wanna make sure I have some for Saturday .. Do you think that’s to long?
I think that’s all a matter of preference, but the cinnamon stick and orange slices will impart a whole lot of flavor during that amount of time. You could mix up a single serving, cork the bottle of wine and make the rest later? Just a thought.
Mmm mmm what a treat!