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Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria

2 December, 2016 by Giselle Rochford 16 Comments

This holiday sangria is easy to make, slightly sweet and filled with holiday fruits like citrus and cranberries. Perfect for entertaining guests this Christmas.

Note: This post was sponsored by Pure Leaf Canada. All opinions are my own as I only work with brands whose products I actually use and enjoy. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

Can you believe we’ve hit December already? 2017 is going to be here before we know it and I’m 100% sure I’m not ready for it. That being said, I’m more than ready for all things holiday related. Especially the food and drinks.

So I’m kicking off the holiday season with a glass, or two, of this lemon cranberry holiday sangria and a toast to a mostly amazing 2016.

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

Sangrias aren’t a drink  I usually associate with the holidays. As a Trinidadian, the only drink I really think about over the holidays is Ponche de Creme, which is similar to eggnog for all non-Trinis in the room.

But when Pure Leaf Canada challenged me to work one of their teas in to a holiday recipe, my first thought was a holiday sangria.

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

Why? Because the first sangria I ever had basically looked like Christmas in a bottle. It had a deep, rich red colour and was filled with fruits I generally associate with the holidays – namely citrus and cranberry.

A basic sangria recipe has fruit, orange juice, sweetener, liquor and sweet, fruity red wine. It’s obviously amazing as is, but I decided to take some liberties with the classic recipe this time around.

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

 

I swapped the OJ for a mix of freshly squeezed citrus juice and sweetened lemon iced tea infused with cranberries. I also used maple syrup as a sweetener and replaced the red wine with a citrusy moscato because I wanted something a little fizzy and festive.

I went for brandy with this sangria because it’s what I had on hand but dark rum would also work really well here and should complement the citrus flavours beautifully.

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

This holiday sangria is sweet but not overpoweringly so due to the citrus and cranberries. It’s also easy to make for large groups which makes it perfect for entertaining guests this holiday season.

And after polishing off a glass or two with ease this weekend, I’m more than ready to add this to my list of favourite holiday drinks.

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

If you make this holiday sangria, I’d love to hear what you think. Leave a comment and rate the recipe or take a pic and tag it @ExSloth on Instagram!

More alcoholic bevvies:

  • blueberry peach margaritas
  • cherry watermelon margaritas
  • tequila spiked hot chocolate

Easy Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria with Pure Leaf Tea via ExSloth.com

Citrus Cranberry Holiday Sangria
 
Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Total time
20 mins
 
This holiday sangria is easy to make, slightly sweet and filled with holiday fruits like citrus and cranberries. Perfect for entertaining guests this Christmas.
Author: GiselleR @ ExSloth.com
Recipe type: Drinks
Ingredients
  • 1 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1½ cups Pure Leaf Tea Lemon Flavour, divided
  • ¼ cup maple syrup, more or less to taste
  • ½ cup freshly squeezed citrus juice
  • 1 bottle sweet white or red wine, I used Moscato
  • ¼ cup brandy (optional)
  • ½ an orange, rind on, sliced into small pieces
  • ½ a lemon, rind on, sliced into small pieces
  • 1 small lime, rind on, sliced into small pieces
  • more citrus and cranberries for garnish
  • Ice for serving
Instructions
  1. In a small sauce pan bring 1 cup sweetened lemon tea, ½ cup cranberries and maple syrup to a boil
  2. Simmer until cranberries begin to soften and pop then remove from the heat
  3. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids
  4. Add pieces of citrus and remaining ½ cup cranberries to a pitcher then stir in the cranberry and lemon tea mixture, citrus juice, brandy and wine
  5. Add ice and/or refrigerate to chill
  6. Serve as is or with more ice and fruit to garnish
Notes
This sangria is best if consumed the day it's made. You can prep the cranberry, tea and maple syrup mixture ahead of time and assemble a couple hours before serving. Otherwise the moscato won't be fizzy and the sangria will be infused with a bit too much of the bitter taste from the citrus rind.
3.5.3226

Want more holiday drinks? Try these mimosas:

5 Ingredient Spicy Grapefruit Mimosa - perfect for everything from New Year's Eve brunch to Mother's Day via ExSloth.com

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Filed Under: Drinks, Recipes

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Comments

  1. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    2 December, 2016 at 7:37 am

    O that sounds delightful! Love Pure Leaf tea!! What a great addition for a wintery cocktail!
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Friday Finisher 12/2/16

    Reply
  2. Christine | thyme and toast says

    2 December, 2016 at 1:41 pm

    Love the tea addition! I’ve been on the hunt for some holiday punches and cocktails – bookmarking!

    Reply
  3. Tina Jui | The Worktop says

    2 December, 2016 at 5:03 pm

    The sangria red is perfect for a holiday drink! Can’t believe it’s almost 2017!

    Reply
  4. valentina says

    2 December, 2016 at 5:25 pm

    How fantastic! I love the idea of sangria for the holidays. I usually think of it as summer drink, and I have no idea why. Lovely with the cranberries!

    Reply
  5. Lynne Curry says

    2 December, 2016 at 6:51 pm

    I’m with you: not ready for 2017!
    And like you I don’t love sweet sangria, but using cranberries and a light hand with the maple syrup as a sweetener, this is one I’m dying to try!

    Reply
  6. Amanda Mason says

    2 December, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    This looks really good! I know what you mean…I like drinking Sangria during the summer months but I do like a good spiced sangria during the holidays and this one looks amazing!! Cant wait to try it!

    Reply
  7. Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says

    2 December, 2016 at 10:39 pm

    I love the color of your sangria! It looks perfect for the holidays.

    Reply
  8. Liz @ I Heart Vegetables says

    7 December, 2016 at 11:00 am

    I loooove sangria so I love this idea! This would be so festive and perfect for a party!

    Reply
  9. carissa says

    15 December, 2016 at 12:22 pm

    can’t wait to try this! what do you use for the “citrus juice”?

    Reply
    • Giselle Rochford says

      15 December, 2016 at 12:33 pm

      Hi Carissa! I did a mix of fresh squeezed orange, lemon & lime but store bought or whatever you have in hand should be fine. Just make sure the blend is slightly on the sweeter side (so mostly orange) since the cranberry is so tart. Let me know what you think when you try it! 😊

      Reply
      • carissa says

        18 December, 2016 at 10:53 pm

        thank you! prepping for it right now and will serve in the morning! i’ll take a pic and let you know how the group likes it!

        Reply
        • Giselle Rochford says

          18 December, 2016 at 11:00 pm

          Awesome. Can’t wait to hear what you think! Just a quick note if you’re making it ahead of time, don’t add the citrus in till tomorrow. The rind will make it a bit too tart.

          Reply
  10. Lorraine says

    26 June, 2017 at 10:34 am

    The Pure Leaf Tea Lemon Flavour got me wanting to try this. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I`ll try this one.

    Reply
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Trackbacks

  1. Tequila Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate - Diary of an ExSloth says:
    7 December, 2016 at 8:04 am

    […] citrus cranberry holiday sangria […]

    Reply
  2. Vegan Trinidad Black Cake - Diary of an ExSloth says:
    16 December, 2016 at 7:22 am

    […] citrus cranberry holiday sangria […]

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