Apple Cider Sangria

Classic sangria might bring to mind warm summer nights and tropical fruits, but this apple cider-based sangria recipe will have you kissing summer goodbye. This fall cocktail is the perfect way to transition to the autumn season: we took a white wine sangria, and rounded it out with spicy ginger beer and sweet apple cider in this big-batch cocktail. If you’re looking to whip up a pitch of fall goodness to share with a group of friends while the fire roars, this sangria is it. Here’s how to make it the best it can be:

The best apples for apple cider sangria:
When it comes to the type of apple to use, anything goes, but we definitely think it’s best (both visually and flavor-wise) to pick a few types of apples. We used Granny Smith, Red Delicious, and Golden Delicious here, but Honeycrisp and Gala work great in this sangria as well. 

The best wine to use:
Sometimes the best way to use up a bottle of not-so-great wine is to dump it into sangria, but if you’re out at the store, why not buy a wine you actually want to drink? Dryer or more acidic white wines like Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, and Muscadet are good choices for this sweeter sangria. You could even use a dry sparkling wine or Prosecco, if you’re feeling it. If you’re really stumped about which wine to buy, try a smaller wine shop and ask one of the employees for help!

Variations.
This sangria not only brings the fall vibes, but is perfectly versatile. Not a ginger beer fan? Feel free to swap it out for ginger ale! It’s sweeter and packs less of a kick, but is still a viable option. If you do opt for ginger ale, we’d recommend going for a dryer wine. 

You can absolutely pick up some store-bought apple cider in a pinch, but if you’ve got the time (and want to put in the effort), our homemade apple cider is truly something special. Plus, once you make it, you can use any extra in our apple cider spritz or apple cider margaritas. 

If you made this autumnal batch cocktail, let us know how it came out in the comments below!