Mix up a batch of Lambrusco sangria for a sparkling and sweet cocktail recipe that's perfect to serve a crowd. The sweet Lambrusco wine pairs perfectly with Aperol liqueur for a well balanced sip.
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If you're looking for a fun, sparkling sangria recipe, you've come to the right place! This sangria is made with Lambrusco, which is a sparkling wine made from red grapes that are grown in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
What makes this sangria recipe so unique is the combination of the sweet Lambrusco wine paired with bitter Aperol liqueur and other sweet fruits. The combination results in a perfectly balanced glass of sangria.
This sweet red sangria is perfect to serve for the holidays, or at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. Be sure to check out this Lambrusco Spritz if you have any leftover wine.
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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
- What type of wine Lambrusco is and where it's from.
- How to make Lambrusco sangria ahead of time for a party.
- What types of snacks to serve with this cocktail.
If you enjoy this cocktail and want to learn about many others, sign up for my free bartender cheat sheet, where you’ll find 45 different cocktail recipes all in one place.
Ingredients You Need
Here are a few ingredients you'll need to make Lambrusco sangria.
- Cranberries: You can use either fresh or frozen cranberries for this recipe. If you use frozen, allow them to thaw slightly so they're easier to muddle.
- Apple: I personally love using Honeycrisp apples, so they stay firm in the sangria, but any apple variety will work.
- Oranges: Be sure to purchase oranges without seeds for this recipe.
- Cinnamon sticks: Don't be tempted to use ground cinnamon. It will muddy up the sangria, and it won't look very appetizing.
- Lambrusco sparkling wine: This sparkling red wine from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy is the star of the show. Some common Lambrusco wine brands include Riunite and Dolce Rosso. If you can't find Lambrusco, you can substitute for Syrah (it just won't be sparkling).
- Lemon lime soda: Any lemon lime soda will work, such as Sprite, 7UP, or even Fresca or other flavored sparkling waters if you'd prefer.
- Aperol liqueur: Aperol is an Italian bitter liqueur that perfectly compliments the sweet elements of Lambrusco.
How To Make This Recipe
This sparkling sangria is really simple to make!
1. Add cranberries to a large pitcher and muddle together to release the juice. If you're using frozen cranberries, they may need to thaw a little before muddling.
2. Add apple slices, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks to the pitcher.
3. Next, pour the Lambrusco sparkling wine straight into the pitcher.
4. Finish off the cocktail by adding lemon lime soda and Aperol. Stir everything together to combine.
5. Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 6 - 8 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
To serve, fill a wine glass with chilled sangria.
Expert Tips
- Need to make this cocktail for a party? You can make it the night before and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. If you want to keep the bubbles from the Lambrusco, add the wine right before serving.
- You can easily make multiple batches of this cocktail if you're hosting a large get-together or holiday party. Grab multiple pitchers and make one batch (listed in the recipe card below) in each pitcher.
- Don't be tempted to make the sangria and drink it right away. Part of the beauty of sangria is that the flavors have married together to create a cohesive, fruit-infused wine flavor.
Recipe FAQs
You'll want a salty bite to pair with this Lambrusco sangria. Potato chips, nuts, or olives will do the trick. For something a little fancier, try marinated feta or bacon and onion dip.
You can make the sangria the night before, and keep it in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve. If you want to keep the bubbles from the Lambrusco, add the wine right before serving.
There's not really a need to garnish sangria because of all of the beautiful fruit that's already in the cocktail. However, if you really like garnishing cocktails, cut up some additional orange slices to garnish each wine glass.
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Sparkling Lambrusco Sangria
Equipment
- pitcher
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 apple cored and sliced into thin quartered wedges
- 2 oranges sliced into thin quartered wedges
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 bottle Lambrusco sparkling wine
- 12 ounces lemon lime soda
- 8 ounces Aperol liqueur
Instructions
- Add cranberries to a large pitcher and muddle together to release the juice. Add apple slices, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, Lambrusco, lemon lime soda, and Aperol to the pitcher. Stir to combine.
- Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for 6 - 8 hours to allow the flavors to marry.
- To serve, fill a wine glass with chilled sangria.
Erica Schramek
I am not normally a red wine drinker but I had this at a party and it was delicious! I had two glasses.
Tara
This was such a hit at a recent party! I’m glad I made a double batch!