Easy Traditional Red Sangria

Used 1 bottle of poor tasting red blend wine. Dissolved brown sugar on low heat with little water. Substituted two jiggers of rum with vodka (what I had on hand). Used 1 cup of mixed calamansi concentrate. Cut gala apple and and squeezed orange. Chilled. Simple sublimb! Thank you for the idea!

I’ve been making Sangria for over 30 years but always looking for something better. I followed this recipe to the letter with one exception. I used Salerno, a Spanish blood orange liqueur instead of brandy.

When I tasted the muddled orange segments and brown sugar I found it very bitter. I’ve never added sugar but perhaps the purpose is to offset the bitterness of the orange peel. I use a ratio of 1/3 orange juice to 2/3 wine. This adds sweetness and citrus flavor, which again offsets the need for sugar.

I tried Cointreau and Triple Sec (orange flavored liqueurs) before discovering the Salerno. Salerno has an intense orange flavor and a lot of alcohol. Three tablespoons were perfect for this recipe.

If you are going to drink the sangria within a short time, adding ice to the pitcher makes sense. Otherwise the ice melts and dilutes the sangria. I use ice in the glass but not in the pitcher.

I’ve been to Spain many times, most recently in July 2024. A lot of the sangria there is for the tourists and not very good. This time on a hot and thirsty afternoon we went to the hotel bar. The bartender asked what I would like. I said I would like a good glass of sangria. He proceeded to make a sangria similar to this recipe, adding both brandy and vermouth. It was cold, and good. I had another.

We love this Sangria! I’ve made it many (maybe too many) times and it’s always a hit. Didn’t have Brandy so used Grand Marnier. I make in the morning and chill all day. The flavors definitely improve over those hours.

This is the best red Sangria recipe I have made! I increased the sugar and OJ. It will be my new go to for Sangria!

This recipe is perfect the way it is, it has become my family’s favourite summer drink! Thank you!

well , nice recpie

This is my go-to red sangria recipe! Thank you! A few modifications: I used Orange liqueur instead of brandy. I also reduced the amount of sugar to 2 tbsp and orange juice to 1/2 cup per batch. I also like to add sliced lemon. I always double the recipe and serve over ice. Thank you! :)

Our condo development had a Summer Pool Party yesterday and I brought the sangria. I followed your recipe exactly and it was such a hit! I never liked sangria before, but this was not too sweet or too harsh; it had such a nice kick! Trader Joe’s was out of the wine you suggested, but they recommended another Spanish wine, Lagranja. Thank you for sharing. It was perfect!

This is my favorite sangria recipe. It has become my go to. Instead of orange juice which I don’t usually have high I juice the other half of the orange. Yum 😋

Great basic sangria recipe! Made it as written, but swapped in Grand Marnier for the brandy. Thanks!

this recipe appears to be the most popular on the net, so how can I not try this?
Knowing I could always add more of an ingredient, I followed my instincts driven by my personal preferences.
I’m not a fan of overly sweet or cloying anything, so I opted for 2 tbs of sugar here. Thinking I should only have only added one, I was concerned but after tasting it was well balanced and quite quaffable. Otherwise I followed the recipe as prescribed.
Fearing excessive dilution with the ice, I chilled my red wine before adding it, with the intention of adding an ice cube or two to the glass while serving. Like the author suggested, I added extra Splash or two of Brandy and orange juice and that was a welcome bonus. As for the wine, I used a Australian 50 Cabernet 50 Shiraz mix that was very dry that worked wonderfully with this. So bottom line is this is an exceptional recipe very balanced and quite enjoyable. Bravo!

This has been my go-to recipe for a few years. I use a cheap tempranillo. And honestly, usually don’t bother with the fruit at all and it is still very good. I always use a good, fresh-squeezed orange juice, though. And have even used a tablespoon of apple juice to make up for the lack of apples, and that tastes good, too. I use rapadura sugar.

I made this Sangria recipe recently for a dinner party featuring recipes and ingredients from Spain, Greece, Italy and France. It was perfect, served with grilled flatbread, tzatziki, roasted red pepper pesto, and warm olives. My guests were most complimentary and I enjoyed it very much, which I didn’t expect, as I generally find Sangria either too harsh or cloyingly sweet. This was perfectly balanced and very smooth!

I used Radio Boka Tempranillo, Cara Cara oranges, (which are less acidic than regular oranges), and a Spanish Brandy called Torres 10. I too tweaked the fruit, (more diced Gala apples), cane sugar, and brandy to taste at the end.

I’m a big sangria fan and order it often when going out to restaurants that serve it. I wanted to have a surprise cocktail at our Thanksgiving dinner, and I have to say, it was a huge hit! It’s probably one of the best sangrias I’ve ever had, and everyone at dinner was saying the same thing. I didn’t have any brandy so I used rum, and I also added a little vodka. I’m now trying it again for those who couldn’t make Thanksgiving dinner, but this time I bought some brandy. Awesome recipe, thank you!

This recipe is so simple but yet so delicious! They do not make you add anything to make it “unique” or fancy… Honestly, when it comes to sangria, if it’s done right, it is simple and delicious. I made this for my Spanish friends and they loved it! Now I make it whenever I miss Barcelona.

I made this with a semi-dry Pinotage from South Africa to use it up. I can see why a slightly fruitier Spanish red would be better. I didn’t have brandy on hand but some cheap rum….I do not suggest rum. However, I only made one glass so next glass, I’ll go for the Grand Marnier which is an orange flavored liquer. I think that will be nicer. I make my white sangria with Amaretto and prefer the liquer taste over rum. Otherwise, nice recipe!

FYI: most red wine is not vegan. Although not “traditional”, Frey wines are a good option. I used cherry brandy to add extra flavor and some frozen black cherries instead of ice and served it in wine glasses. Delicious.

I made this last night and it was a huge hit. Used a bit less sugar and added a little elderflower tonic water for sprightliness–fantastic! I love that this is so easy and uses common ingredients. Another great recipe, thank you!

I used a local vineyards blueberry wine, some blackberry brandy, and mixed OJ with a mixed berry superfruit juice. SO good

Wow! Best sangria ever! I’m hosting a tennis luncheon next month during the Madrid Open, so of course I had to find a recipe for authentic sangria. This is it! The last sangria I had was in a local restaurant and it was terrible. But THIS recipe is amazing! I made it exactly as stated, using Hennessy brandy (cognac) and Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 2016. I read every review, so I used only 1/2 the brown sugar due to concern of it being too sweet, only to add the full amount after tasting. I also let the sugar sit on the fruit for half an hour before adding liquids. Chilled it all in the frig for two hours. Perfect! I’m using a spigot drink dispenser, so no fruit will come out when serving. Instead, I used a 4″ skewer and stabbed one chunk of red grape, apple, pineapple, then orange (grape on top) to sit in the glass and added about 3 ice cubes to each glass. Cold and refreshing! No worries about the ice watering down the drink because it goes down fast! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!

Very delicious sangria!

3 tablespoons of brown sugar were enough to cover a bad Sangiovese that I couldn’t let go to complete waist! Refreshing drink on a hot day.

Simple yet elegant.

Our go to recipe. So simple that we always have the ingredients on hand and everyone loves it. No need to change a thing.

This is a great basic recipe for sangria! I usually use tequila but I’ve recently tried Cruzan Rum (both the coconut and guava rum). The consensus is that the coconut rum wins hands down. I have also been known to pour in about a half cup of Chambord .best thing about sangria is that, once you have the basic recipe (and this is a really good one), don’t be afraid to experiment!

Made the sangria. Awesome recipe. I added strawberries and blueberries along wit the citrus. My son requested it again for our Memorial Day picnic.

We had to watch the kids. They had a sip everytime we weren’t looking.

Excellent recipe :)

Super nice! I made it close to recipe but subbed half pineapple juice for o.j.. 1/2 brandy 1/2 Cointreau and a handful of raspberries. Delish! Can’t wait to try after some steep time! Thanks!

This is the perfect classic sangria. I have had a lot of sangria and this one is perfectly balanced – fruity and perfectly sweet. When I made this for a paella party, one said that this is how sangria should always taste! Thank you for such a simple but perfect recipe :D

Delicious. I used halved grapes and added triple sec. I used a burgundy jug which is sweet, so I didn’t add sugar.