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You’ll be dreaming about this White Christmas Sangria long after the holidays have come to an end! White wine, ginger beer, pear brandy, and some festive red and green fruit are all you need for this jolly holiday cocktail.
Remember how I said I’d already put up my Christmas tree even though it’s mid-November?
I figured I might as well continue the pre-Christmas celebrating with a White Christmas Sangria.
Especially since we’re having our first gorgeous fall day down here! It’s in the 50s and my fuzzy socks are on, windows are all open, fir candles are burning.
It’s my literal heaven.
Meanwhile, up North I know you guys are dealing with your first snows and winter storms of the season. So, hey – if you’ve got the stuff in your house to whip this holiday sangria up, you definitely should!
After all, it IS Friday.
JUST TAKE ME TO THE WHITE CHRISTMAS SANGRIA ALREADY!
If you’d rather skip my (pretty darn helpful) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this deliciously easy holiday sangria recipe, just scroll right on down to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card!
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Christmas drinks aren’t just made up of eggnog and hot toddies, my friends.
And for the next 8 WEEKS, every Friday you’ll find a new boozy treat waiting for you here on the blog!
(I can’t promise eggnog and hot toddies won’t show up, though.)
Normally, I am strictly a red wine drinker. I will enjoy a glass of white wine every now and then, but mostly it’s either too sweet or too oaky for me.
The holidays are perfect for red wine in every capacity. But since my last true white sangria was posted back in 2014, I thought it was high time for another to make an appearance on the blog!
This is super simple, crisp, and totally refreshing and will be a lovely sangria to drink all winter long!
A couple bottles of your favorite white wine, sparkling ginger beer, a splash of pear brandy, and a bit of sugar make up the drink.
The sugar is optional, depending on your tastes, but it will help alleviate the tartness of the cranberries as they infuse into the sangria. If you prefer, you can use simple syrup, agave nectar, or a natural sweetener instead.
As far as the fruit, I added some very thinly sliced Bartlett pears and whole and halved cranberries – mild sweetness, a little bit of tart. Perfect winter sangria ingredients!
What Is The Best White Wine For Sangria?
In this Christmas Sangria, I used a bottle of Riesling as well as a bottle of Pinot Grigio. It’s not too sweet a blend on its own, and the flavors compliment the additions of ginger beer and brandy nicely.
Just like with liquor, you want to choose something on the more inexpensive side since you’ll be blending and infusing it. I’m not talking boxed wine – choose something you would normally drink and enjoy, but don’t break the bank.
You’ll want to choose a dry, crisp, unoaked white wine since you’ll be adding sugar and fruit. Unless, of course, you enjoy super sweet sangria! Try one or a blend of these varieties:
- Riesling (look for dry)
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Vinho Verde
- Sparkling Wine/Champagne
How To Make White Christmas Sangria:
- First, add the pears and cranberries to a large pitcher. You can stack them all fancy like as I did, adding star-shaped pear pieces, or just toss them in. Add the fruit first keeps splashes at bay.
- Then, pour the wine, ginger beer, brandy, and sugar into the pitcher and stir. If you stacked your fruit, whisk it all together in a large bowl or another pitcher, then transfer it to the pitcher with fruit.
- If you like the taste of star anise, add a few pods to the mixture and stir.
- Refrigerate the sangria for 3 to 4 hours for best flavors.
- When you’re ready to serve, pour sangria into chilled glasses, making sure each one gets some of the boozy fruit. Top each glass off with more ginger beer, if desired.
- Garnish with rosemary, an anise pod, and some frozen cranberries to keep it cold.
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White Christmas Sangria
Ingredients
- 2 bottles white wine I used Riesling & Pinot Grigio
- 12 ounces ginger beer plus more for topping, if desired
- ¼ cup pear brandy
- ¼ cup sugar
- 3 bartlett pears thinly sliced
- 1 pound cranberries fresh or frozen, plus more for garnish
- 3-4 star anise pods
- Rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Add the pears and cranberries to a large pitcher. Pour in wine, brandy, and sugar and stir. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.
- When ready to serve, pour into chilled glasses. Top off with more ginger beer, if desired. Garnish with rosemary, an anise pod, and frozen cranberries to keep it cold.
Nutrition
PIN THIS CHRISTMAS SANGRIA FOR LATER!
Liz says
November 16, 2018 at 6:23 pmOh, my gosh, this is the prettiest sangria I’ve ever seen. And it’s certainly as tasty as it looks!!
Wilhelmina Wessel says
November 16, 2018 at 7:00 pmThis sangria is so pretty! So perfect for a holiday party!
Lisa says
December 20, 2018 at 5:31 pmThis is gorgeous! I can’t wait to make it. Can I prepare this a few days in advance, or will the fruit break down?
Erica says
December 21, 2018 at 7:34 pmThank you so much, Lisa! The cranberries will start to turn the sangria a little more tart than is desirable (we drank almost the entire pitcher but still had some leftover the next day that was really snappy!), and the pears might brown a bit – I wouldn’t prep it more than maybe the night before! Good luck, I hope you love it! Merry Christmas!
Brittony says
December 22, 2018 at 9:44 pmIn place of the anise pods, how do you think a few cinnamon sticks would blend with the other kids ingredients here? Can’t wait to try this for our family Christmas Eve party!
Erica says
December 23, 2018 at 4:33 pmYou can absolutely use cinnamon sticks, Brittony! The spice will complement the flavors perfectly, I’m just partial to anise. I hope you all enjoy it, and have a very Merry Christmas!