Mixed Berry Sangria

This Mixed Berry Red Wine Sangria is made with red wine, brandy, orange juice, fresh or frozen berries! Perfect refreshing summer drink for a party!

By
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett McCord
Garrett has been writing about food and sharing recipes for 15 years. He is the author of Melt: The Art of Macaroni and Cheese.
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Published May 29, 2017
Garrett McCord
Mixed Berry Sangria
Elise Bauer

Sangria is one of those things that you hardly need a recipe for – or even a particularly good red wine!

I do have a few slight twists I like use for my own sangria recipe. I like to add berries, like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries. While apples and oranges are more traditional, I find berries infuse more flavor and color into the wine.

Mixed Berry Sangria
Elise Bauer

I also like to stir in a little soda water when I serve just for some extra pizzaz. That sparkle just gives the sangria a little Lambrusco-esque zing. Sometimes instead of soda water I'll even add some blood orange soda (San Pellegrino) to jazz it up even more.

For the red wine, I recommend buying a cheap bottle for this recipe, frankly. We'll be mixing it with so many other flavorful ingredients that even a lower-quality wine will taste great, and the quality of a more expensive wine would go unappreciated.

Rioja wine from Spain is traditional for sangria. If you can't find an inexpensive bottle of rioja at the store, any favorite inexpensive red wine that you already like to drink will do. A zinfandel would work great in sangria.

Mixed Berry Sangria
Elise Bauer

The best part? You can whip this sangria together and serve it right away, or make it a few hours ahead and let the flavors of the fresh fruit really meld with the wine. (You can even make several days ahead. Keep it in the fridge and the fruit in the sangria will start to naturally ferment and create bubbles.)

A bit of fruit, a little orange juice, some brandy. Boom, boom, done.

Mixed Berry Sangria

Prep Time 10 mins
Chill Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 10 mins
Servings 4 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 orange, cut into chunks, seeds removed
  • 1 1/4 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen, such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries
  • 1 750-ml bottle red wine
  • 1/3 cup brandy
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • Extra fruit for garnish (optional)
  • Soda water or blood orange soda (optional)

Method

  1. Muddle the fruit with sugar:

    Place sugar, orange chunks, and berries into a pitcher and smash with a wooden spoon or a muddler to release some of the juices and break up the fruit a little bit.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer
  2. Add the red wine, brandy, and orange juice and steep:

    for about 5 minutes or up to 2 hours. The flavors will mellow and improve the longer you can wait before serving.

    Elise Bauer
  3. Pour into glasses filled with ice and extra fruit:

    If you prefer a very clear sangria with no fruit pulp, pour the sangria through a strainer when serving.

    If you want, add some soda water or a little blood orange soda (I like blood orange San Pellegrino) to your sangria for some bubbles and a little extra pizzaz.

    Elise Bauer