I love hosting friends and coming up with new ideas for food and cocktails we can all enjoy, even if it’s a tiny Covid friendly gathering! It’s always fun for me to brainstorm at least 1 thing we haven’t done that would be a good fit with our plans we all can enjoy. We had a few friends over to celebrate the holidays, and this mulled wine winter sangria was that thing! I already can’t wait to make it again.
RECIPE BELOW:
We had 10 people, I multiplied the ingredients below by 6 to allow for 3 glasses a person. I wish I made more because we went right through it!
* 1 bottle red wine – Cabernet Sauvignon (personal faves to use for sangria: Duckhorn, Robert Mondavi, JUSTIN
* ¼ cup brandy
* 1 cup apple cider
* 2 green apples – 1 for mulled wine, 1 for fresh garnish
* 2 lemons – 1 for mulled wine, 1 for fresh garnish
* 2 limes – 1 for mulled wine, 1 for fresh garnish
* 1 orange
* 1 cup blackberries – ½ cup for mulled wine & the rest for fresh garnish
* 1 cup cranberries – ½ cup for mulled wine & ½ cup for fresh garnish
* ½ cup pomegranate seeds
* ¼ cup honey
* 8 cinnamon sticks (3 for mulled wine, 5 for glass garnish)
* 1 tsp. cloves
* 5 star anise
* 5 springs baby’s breath (safe to consume)
1. In a large pot, pour 1 bottle of red wine, 1 cup apple cider & ¼ cup of honey. Add 3 cinnamon sticks & 1 tsp. of cloves in a tea egg. Place a lid on top and simmer on very low heat for 20 minutes.
2. While simmering, slice 1 green apple, 1 orange, 1 lemon & 1 lime.
3. When finished, pour mulled wine into a jug or container with sliced fruit, ½ cup of blackberries & ½ cup cranberries. Add ¼ cup of brandy, stir gently and refrigerate for 3 hours until cold.
4. For garnish, thinly slice 1 lemon, 1 lime, & 1 green apple. Add ice to glasses and pour sangria, adding some of the drunken fruit, and leaving some room for fresh fruit. Add blackberries, pomegranate seeds, cranberries, & sliced fruit with star anise & floral garnish.
Cheers, friends!