Red Christmas Sangria
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Updated Dec 16, 2025, Published Dec 14, 2015
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This Red Christmas Sangria is festive, budget-friendly, and incredibly easy to make. There’s no need to buy top-of-the-line wine or stock your bar with extra spirits. The sweet-tart fruit, inexpensive red wine, and a splash of sparkling club soda create a cocktail that’s flavorful, refreshing, and beautiful on the table.
It’s also a dream for planners. You can prep it ahead of time, let it chill overnight, and simply add fizz right before serving. Less time playing bartender, more time actually enjoying your holiday gathering.
Inspired by: Super Budget Thanksgiving Sangria from The Kitchn
Table of Contents
What Is Red Christmas Sangria?
Red Christmas sangria is a holiday-ready version of classic sangria made with red wine, fresh fruit, and sparkling club soda. This version skips the brandy and orange liqueur entirely, letting the fruit do the heavy lifting. It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for entertaining without the extra cost or fuss.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget-friendly: No need for expensive wine or additional spirits
- Simple ingredients: Fruit, red wine, and club soda are all you need
- Make-ahead friendly: Designed to be prepared in advance
- Perfect for planners: Prep it early and enjoy your party stress-free
- Quick prep: Less than 10 minutes of active prep time
Ingredients & Substitutions
The complete list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Cranberries: These cheerful ruby orbs add a festive, sweet-tart pop that feels especially seasonal. If fresh cranberries aren’t available, you can substitute pomegranate arils. Do not muddle if using arils.
- Orange: Winter citrus is at its peak, so you have plenty of great options. I recommend sweeter varieties like Navel, Cara Cara, Valencia, or blood oranges for the best balance.
- Apple: Any apple will work, but crisp, sweet-tart varieties like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp hold their texture and flavor better than softer, mealy apples such as Red Delicious.
- Pear: Firmer pears like Bosc or Anjou stand up well to longer soaking. If you’re using softer pears like Bartlett or Comice, add them right before serving to avoid an overly soft texture.
- Red Wine: I love using an earthy-sweet Spanish Tempranillo, but any jammy, fruit-forward red with low tannins works well, including Grenache or Pinot Noir.
- Club Soda: A splash of chilled club soda lightens the sangria and adds a refreshing fizz. Tonic water can be used instead if you’d like a subtle bittersweet note.
How to Make Christmas Sangria
his easy batch cocktail comes together in just a few simple steps.
Step 1: Muddle the fruit. Lightly muddle the cranberries in a large pitcher using the back of a spoon. Add the orange, apple, and pear slices and gently muddle again. Do not over-muddle the cranberries — releasing too much of their tannic juice can make the sangria tart and cloudy. A wooden muddler works great, but a wooden spoon is just as effective.
Step 2: Add the wine & chill. Pour in the red wine, stir, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Step 3: Add bubbles & serve. Just before serving, stir in club soda or tonic water. Serve cold and enjoy!
Watch this video showing how to make Christmas sangria—it’s so easy!
Optional Variations
This recipe has not been tested with all substitutions or variations. If you try one, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
- Swap the fruit: Use what you have, but stick with seasonal, wintry fruit for a true Christmas sangria. Sweet citrus (avoid very tart lime, lemon, or grapefruit), apples, pears, berries, pomegranate arils, or even stone fruit work well.
- Make it boozy: This sangria is intentionally light, but you can add a splash of orange liqueur like Cointreau if desired.
- Non-alcoholic option: For kids or designated drivers, use non-alcoholic red wine or cranberry juice cocktail, plenty of fruit, and sparkling soda for a festive punch.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve in wine glasses or festive tumblers
- Garnish with fresh orange slices or cranberries
- Perfect alongside Mexican tamales, Mexican appetizers, or a holiday cheese board
Red Christmas Sangria Expert Tips & Tricks
- Choose a wine you enjoy drinking on its own
- Chill before serving for best flavor
- Taste and adjust sweetness after chilling
- Best enjoyed the same day or within 24–48 hours
Storage Instructions
- Room Temperature: While this Christmas sangria is safe to sit out for a few hours, it’s best served well chilled. Nestle your punch bowl inside a larger ice bath to keep it cold throughout your party. Frozen orange slices or cranberries also work beautifully as edible ice cubes.
- Refrigerated: Store sangria in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For longer storage, remove the fruit to help it keep for up to 5 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Christmas sangria actually tastes better when made several hours or a day in advance.
A dry or semi-dry red wine like Tempranillo, Garnacha, or Cabernet Sauvignon works best.
Yes. Use club soda instead of tonic water, and choose a dry red wine. You can also reduce the amount of fruit you muddle if you prefer a less sweet sangria.
In my opinion, there aren’t many desserts that DON’T pair well with this yummy wine punch. It goes beautifully with fruity treats like orange biscochos, baked pineapple empanadas, and fresh persimmon cookies, chocolate-y treats like chocoflan, Mexican chocolate fudge, and double chocolate banana bread, as well as more “vanilla” treats like cuernitos de nuez and arroz con leche. What I’m trying to say is it’s tough to go wrong!
Oh, gosh. There are just so many to choose from! This Christmas sangria is excellent, as are other batch cocktails like Winter White Sangria, Jamaica (Hibiscus) Sangria, Mexican Fruit Sangria, Coconut Water Bourbon Punch, and Ponche Navideño.
More Holiday Drink Recipes
If you tried this Christmas Sangria or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Summarize & Save This Content On
Christmas Sangria
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cranberries, rinsed
- 1 orange, sliced
- 1 apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
- 1 pear, cored and cut into thin wedges
- 2 bottles red wine, recommend Tempranillo
- 1 liter club soda or tonic water, chilled
Instructions
- Muddle the cranberries in a large pitcher. Use the back of a spoon to crush and smash them against the sides of the pitcher.
- Add the orange, apple and pear slices and muddle.
- Pour in the wine and stir. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Before serving, stir in tonic water or club soda. Serve cold.
Video
Notes
- Make-ahead friendly: Prepare the sangria the day before and refrigerate overnight. Add club soda or tonic water just before serving to keep it bubbly.
- Don’t over-muddle: Lightly muddle the cranberries only. Over-muddling releases tannins that can make the sangria tart and cloudy.
- Wine tip: An inexpensive, drinkable red wine works best. No need to splurge.
- Make it boozy: This sangria is intentionally light, but you can add a splash of orange liqueur like Cointreau if desired.
- For less sweetness: Use club soda instead of tonic water.
- Storage: Sangria keeps well refrigerated for up to 2 days. For longer storage, remove the fruit and keep up to 5 days.
- Serving tip: Keep chilled with an ice bath or use frozen fruit as edible ice cubes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this delicious Sangria recipe for Christmas and red chile posole. It was a big hit with our family and friends. I made one with gingerale and another with sparkling soda water.
Hola!
You mention a Tempranillo red wine. Can you please tell me the exact wine you used? I do not know wines at all and would love to make this recipe. When I look up Tempranillo red wine a variety of wines appear. Please, may I have the exact name of the wine you use in this recipe? Feliz Navidad!
Hola Patricia, one of my favorites is Campo Viejo Rioja Tempranillo.
Looking forward to making some of the recipes that you share. If I have any luck I would love to get your recipe books.
I plan to make the Christmas Sangria for my Christmas guest.
Hi Yvette, great recipe! Where did you purchase the pitcher and glasses shown? They are really beautiful. And, I happen to live in El Paso. Thank you in advance.
Does this work with any wine sweet or dry?
Red wine or white wine?
What is muddling? Don’t do a lot of cooking just never heard of this could you please explain thank you
JUST CURIOUS ON THE MUDDLING. WONT IT BE CLOUDY IF YOU MUDDLE EVERYTHING?
Hi Leah, muddle gently — do not crush the fruit.
Are those fresh, raw cranberries you’re using in this recipe? Aren’t they tart?
Hi Angie, yes they are fresh raw cranberries and are tart. They are more of a festive touch. The other sweet fruit muddled balances out the tart flavor. The sangria is very easy and delicious.
Have you made up this with white wine? My guests are white wine drinkers, though I might get away with using rose.
It will absoltely work with white wine Robin! It will be delicious! Enjoy! Salud.