Fall Sangria | Boozy Apple Cider Punch
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This Fall Sangria with apple cider, bourbon, pinot grigio, and seasonal fruits is a gorgeous fall drink idea! We love serving this apple cider punch at Thanksgiving or any fall gathering.
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Before I tried sangria, I thought I didn’t like wine. In fact, I thought the only alcoholic beverage I liked was the fruitiest of fruity cocktails.
Then along came this fall sangria with its boozy cinnamon apples and warm bite of bourbon, and lo and behold, I was smitten.
This Autumn Sangria is packed with the season’s best fruits–a colorful mix of apples, pears, and plums–in a blend of pinot grigio, apple cider, and bourbon. It’s fruity and refreshing, but still cozy enough for a chilly fall day.
This is my preferred drink for football Saturdays. Y’all can keep your beer. I’ll take a big ol’ glass of apple sangria with a side of bacon wrapped smokies, please and thank you.
I first made this drink almost seven years ago for a girl’s night. It was a raving success, and since then it’s become my standard punch recipe for tailgating, bridal showers, Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, PTA meetings…Basically, if it’s Autumn and people are getting together, I’m making fall sangria.
Every time I make this, I spot guests trying to inconspicuously fish out fruit from the pitcher with a wooden spoon. This, to me, is the sign of success–people willing to sacrifice their dignity and manners for a few hunks of boozy apple cider soaked fruit.
Fall Sangria is super easy to make and adapt to your tastes, but I do have some tips for making it the very best! I’m sure you and your family/guests/neighbors/strangers who saw you were serving sangria will love this as much as we do!
How to Make Apple Sangria
- Fill a large pitcher with your choice of fresh apples and other fall fruits. Toss in a few cinnamon sticks.
- Add an entire bottle of pinot grigio, a few cups of apple cider, some club soda, and a little bit of bourbon for all the warm fuzzies.
- Stir, stir, stir! Taste. If you’d like, stir in a little maple syrup for added sweetness. Otherwise, pop the mixture in the fridge and allow it to sit for at least an hour overnight.
- After all the flavors have had a chance to mix and mingle, pull the pitcher out of the fridge, give it another good swirl, and serve it up!
Tips for Making Fall Sangria
- Start with fresh, in season produce that’s ripe but not too soft. The fruit will soften considerably in the apple cider punch, so you want it to be fairly firm to begin with.
- Choose a variety of fruits for lots of flavor and color! I love using a few different kinds of apples, pears, and plums, but feel free to substitute your favorites.
- Use a high quality dry or semi-dry white wine. We prefer riesling or pinot grigio. If you’re like me, you’ll pick one that is A) On sale for $10 or less and B) Says something about “subtle hints of apple” or “refreshing blend of pear and citrus” on the back.
- Bourbon is the quintessential fall spirit in my opinion, and I love the warmth it brings to this apple sangria. However, feel free to substitute brandy or rum if you prefer.
- You can use sparkling wine, club soda, or ginger ale to make a bubbly holiday sangria. My husband prefers the ginger ale, but I prefer to use club soda plus a teensy pour of maple syrup for sweetness and flavor. Feel free to experiment with your desired sweetness!
- Refrigerate Autumn Sangria for at least an hour before serving or overnight. The flavors will get better and better as it sits!
Want More Fall Drink Ideas?
These Caramel Apple Cider Floats are so easy to make and the perfect bridge between summer and fall.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you’ll also love our Apple Cider Cocktail–it’s like the flannel shirt of cocktails. Or, try these Apple Cider Margaritas!
In the mood for something hot? Try this Mulled Spiced Apple Cider or this Apple Cider Hot Toddy with Brown Butter Bourbon.
Fall Sangria
Ingredients
- 4 cinnamon sticks
- 2 apples (chopped)
- 2 pears (chopped)
- 2 plums (chopped)
- 1 bottle pinot grigio
- 3 cups apple cider
- 1 cup club soda
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Place the chopped fruits in the bottom of a large pitcher. Pour in the wine, apple cider, club soda, and bourbon. Give everything a really good stir. Taste. If desired, add 1/4 cup maple syrup.
- Sangria should be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before serving, but is better if refrigerated for several hours or overnight.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute your favorite fruits in this sangria recipe.
- Pomegranates and oranges both work well here.
- Ginger ale can be substituted for club soda if preferred.
Y’all, this is such a perfect drink and it’s a smash hit! I never make less than a double recipe now because I know how fast it goes. Also made an NA version with sparkling juice and a bit of vanilla extract. You could also spring for zero-proof versions of the wine and bourbon, but the subs I used worked out!
Hello! I want to make this the night before thanksgiving! I should add the club soda right before serving to the sangria?
Yep! Chill the soda separately if you can and then add it right before serving!
Sorry for finding this post so late in the game, my girlfriend isn’t a big whiskey drinker I personally think this will be perfect. But she is debating on substituting out the whiskey for champagne. I was thinking if we do that we that it might be better to switch it out with vodka instead and add the maple syrup
This recipe was awesome! You should definitely chill it for a few hours if not overnight so the flavors can develop. However, if you’re in a rush you can put in in the freezer so it will chill even faster. Just remember to give it a little swirl so you don’t have a slushy lol. I used Ellington’s salted caramel whiskey and got a caramel apple cider that everyone loved! I’ll definitely be bringing this to holiday parties 😁
Oh I must try that salted caramel whiskey! Thanks for sharing and I’m so glad you enjoyed the cider sangria!
I see it says to let it sit for multiple hours or overnight for best taste… I assume you hold off on adding the club soda until soon before serving?
Yes! The club soda should be added right before serving if you’re using it! Thanks for clarifying that.
Trying my luck in 2021😁. What brand of bourbon did you use?
I really like Bulleit Bourbon.
This looks yummy! I don’t discriminate between white and red wines, but I know the friends I’m having over for an adult pumpkin carving party mostly drink red. Do you have a similar version that would work well with a red wine?
I think you could easily sub red wine in this recipe. Traditionally, sangria is made with a Spanish red wine. A Pinot Noir would work just fine. I hope you and your guests enjoy!
Hi there! I know this is an old post, but I am so excited to make this for a party I’m having in October. How many times do you think I should double the recipe to fill a punch bowl and to serve 30 guests? Thank you!!
You could probably get by with tripling it if you’ll be serving other drinks and everyone just plans on having one glass, but if it’s your only drink I would probably times the recipe by 5. I hope everyone enjoys it! Fall parties are the best. 🙂
Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to try it!
I made this sangria for thanksgiving. Not only was it delicious, but it was deceptively strong. You couldn’t taste any alcohol, but we started feeling its effects after a few sips. Granted none of us are regular drinkers. Anyway, thanks for the recipe!
hello, thanks for the recipe, I just made it for thanksgiving, I have a question though I didn’t know what size bottle of pinot grigio to get so I used (2) 1.5 liter bottles and I made a double batch , was that the right size bottle to use?? Im going to add more sweetness to it .
I think my wine bottles were about 1 liter so you probably have a little more wine to other stuff ratio. If it’s not sweet enough you can definitely add more maple syrup or apple cider!
Thanks and I did just that , perfect!!!
Happy thanksgiving !
Does this pitcher really only serve six? Wanting to make this for thanksgiving for a group of ten. We will have other drinks as well. Not sure if I should double the reicpe??
I would double it. You can get 8-10 glasses out of this, but since it’s not very strong you can have more than one glass. At the party where I served it, there were 6 of us and we finished the pitcher.
Can I skip the football and just have a glass of this loveliness? It sounds SO good!
Of course! No football required. 🙂
So, I normally have my annual Sangria Party in the summer. But this is sort of making me want to have another one in the fall…..
I blame you for this 😉
I don’t think I mind taking the fall for this one. 🙂
My friends will also blame you for their twice-a-year sangria hangovers 😉 Because sangria hangovers are the. worst. Sugar + alcohol = a special kind of torture.
Haha! Indeed. And it’s so darn easy to overindulge when it tastes soooo good.
Hi again – just wanted to let you know that I featured this recipe (with full credit and a link-back) in an apple cider recipe roundup today on Foxes Love Lemons. Have a great week!
http://www.foxeslovelemons.com/2013/10/sweet-and-savory-apple-cider-recipe.html
Thanks girl! Can’t wait to check out the roundup!
This looks amazing! And I just found a recipe for homemade apple cider in a crock pot, so I think I might just have to make both of these recipes soon. Random question: where did you get your pitcher/what brand is it? It looks so nice for serving these kinds of drinks 🙂
I wish I could tell you, but I actually got it at an auction of all things. I’d been looking for a pitcher like that forever and finally found one. I would check Home Goods or TJ Maxx though. I seem to have good luck there.
Girl, you are speaking my language, the language of fruity, boozy cocktails. I’m in love with your autumn version of sangria. I’m not a big beer drinker either – I’ll have one beer and be done. This, however, would be dangerous. Just stick a giant straw in that jug and I’ll drink the entire pitcher!
It is so dangerous. Especially the fruit pieces! I saved everything from the bottom of the pitcher and ate them as a snack!
Sounds perfect! I miss drinking sangria
LOL you had me at shaving your tastebuds. And I LOVE beer! But I would still never say no to this “autumnal” sangria, delicious.
Perfectly stated….those of us who do not like beer DESERVE something fab to drink while watching football.