Apple Sangria (Spanish Style)

This apple sangria is made the traditional Spanish way with red wine! It boosts apples and cinnamon for an autumnal twist.

do you like sangria This is how you drink it until autumn: Apple Sangria! This drink is made the traditional Spanish way, like our classic red sangria. That means it’s tart and edgy, rather than being loaded with sugar like American versions of the drink. But to make it a fall twist, we used red and green apples for fruit and added a touch of cinnamon. It’s crunchy, fresh and full of flavor without an overdose of sweetness.

Ingredients for apple sangria

This apple sangria recipe is all about the classic Spanish flavor combined with autumn fruits. So many American versions of this drink use way too much sugar, use ginger ale, or use a lot of sugary juices. They taste more like fruit punch than real sangria. This one stays true to the classic version, with red wine and brandy instead of sugary liquids. What you need for this apple sangria:

• Fruits: red and green apples, lemon
• Sugar
• Dry red wine (see below)
• brandy
• Cinnamon: ground and sticks
• ciderOptional

to use red wine

You can use any type of red wine for this apple sangria. Traditionally, a dry red wine is used for Spanish sangria. If your taste is sweeter, you can definitely use a sweeter red wine as well. Here are some dry red wine options that go well with sangria:

• Rioja Tempranillo
• Grenache (Grenache from Spain)
• Malbec
• Pinot Noir

How to make apple sangria…Spanish style

After studying abroad in Spain, I have a passion for well-made Spanish dishes. American copycat versions just don’t capture the magic and nuance of the original dish. That’s what the Spaniards do! This method is an adaptation inspired by our favorite Spanish chef, Jose Andres. How to prepare this apple sangria:

• Macerate apples for 20 minutes: Mix the apples with sugar and ground cinnamon, leave at room temperature and crush (this technique is called maceration). This allows the fruit aromas to penetrate the wine even better.
• Add liquids: Add red wine and brandy and throw in a few lemon wedges.
• Refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. This allows the flavors to mix and unfold.

Add more apple flavor with apple cider!

Drink the apple sangria as is and it makes a beautiful red wine. But if you’re looking for something a little more autumnal with an American twist, we’ve got an idea for you: add a dash of apple cider when serving! Here’s more:

• Use unsweetened apple cider. Here, too, everything revolves around fine aromas! Don’t use sweet cider or it will mask the flavors.
• Add a squirt to each glass when serving. In Spain, sangria is often served with a little sparkling water to foam the glass. You can use apple cider instead!
• Or try apple cider sangria. Go to Apple Cider Sangria: This recipe uses carbonated apple cider to add sparkle to a pleasantly flavored sangria.

Other types of sangria

There are so many types of sangria to choose from! Aside from the types we’ve already discussed, here are some of our favorites. They’re all prepared with a Spanish twist, not the American sweet variety. Here are a few ideas:

This apple sangria recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

More fall drinks

There are so many enjoyable autumn drinks and delicious autumn cocktails: we want to make them all! Here are a few ideas (they even work for holiday drinks):