Thanksgiving Sangria
It's crisp, refreshing and goes down easy. Perfect drink to kick off the Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving holiday season. Cheers to friends, family and being thankful! Make a double batch!
Ingredients
Sangria Mix
- 1 750 ml inexpensive bottle of white wine Pinot Gregio, Vouvray or Blanc
- 2½ cups apple cider prefer Honey Crisp apple cider
- ¾ cup brandy
- ¾ cups orange liqueur
- 1 10-ounce jar of pumpkin butter prefer Trader Joe's brand
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup or caster sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish
- 1 navel oranges, thinly sliced, plus extra for garnish
- 1 cup pomegranate arils, plus extra for garnish
- 2-3 cinnamon sticks, plus extra for garnish
- 2-3 anise stars
- 1 12-ounce ginger beer, kept refrigerated and cold prefer Fever-Tree or Bundaberg brands
Instructions
The Day Before - Marry The Flavors
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Combine white wine, apple cider, brandy, orange liqueur, pumpkin butter, maple syrup and lemon juice in an empty jug or gallon container. Cap the jug and shake vigorously to combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate overnight so the flavors marry.
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Slice the apples, oranges and combine with pomegranate arils in a plastic bag. Move the fruit around so the apples are coated with the citric acid to prevent browning. Refrigerate overnight.
An Hour Before - Macerate The Fruit
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Add sliced apples, oranges, pomegranate arils, cinnamon sticks and anise stars to a pitcher. Set aside.
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Use an ultra fine mesh strainer to filter the the sangria as you pour it into the pitcher. Refrigerate up to an hour before serving to macerate the fruit.
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Just before serving, stir in cold ginger beer to the sangria and garnish glasses. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Pumpkin Butter has spices that do not dissolve - like cloves. Sangria shouldn't be gritty so I like to filter the spices to ensure a smooth drink. If the spices don't bother you, don't filter the sangria.