Easy Apple Cider Sangria for Crisp Fall Evenings

Easy Apple Cider Sangria for Crisp Fall Evenings

Apple Cider Sangria

There's a stretch of fall evening that shows up right after the sun goes down and the air turns sharp. Everyone reaches for a sweater, somebody starts a fire, and the night gets a little slower. That's the evening this sangria is for.

It's warm spice and crisp apple in one pitcher, built to sit and infuse while you do everything else. By the time anyone shows up, all that's left to do is pour it over ice.

Why This Sangria Works for Crisp Fall Evenings

Nobody wants to stand at a stove stirring mulled wine all night. This one chills in the fridge, gets better on its own, and pours itself out by the glass.

  • One pitcher serves the whole table, no bartending required
  • The apples and cinnamon infuse while the cider chills
  • Warm spice flavor without ever turning on the stove
  • Scales up easily for a bigger crowd
  • That amber color looks right at home on a fall table

Ingredients

For the sangria

  • 4 cups fresh apple cider, chilled
  • 1 cup brandy or bourbon
  • 2 apples, one red and one green, thinly sliced
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced
  • 2 cinnamon sticks

To finish

  • 1 cup chilled ginger beer or sparkling cider
  • Extra cinnamon sticks, for garnish
  • Ice

Instructions

  1. 1
    Build the base

    In a large pitcher, combine the cider, brandy or bourbon, apple slices, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks. Stir gently to combine.

  2. 2
    Let it infuse

    Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, so the spice and fruit have time to work into the cider.

  3. 3
    Top with bubbles

    Just before serving, stir in the ginger beer or sparkling cider.

  4. 4
    Pour and garnish

    Fill glasses with ice, pour, and make sure everyone gets a share of apple and orange. Finish with a fresh cinnamon stick.

Presentation makes all the difference, especially when the glass is half the reason people remember the drink.

Presentation Tips

  • Chill the glasses ahead of time so the sangria stays cold longer
  • Set out a small dish of extra cinnamon sticks and apple slices for garnish
  • Serve alongside something warm, like roasted nuts or spiced popcorn
  • Pour it tableside, it always gets noticed
Jeanne Fitz Scalloped Collection short tumbler glasses in blush, set of four, on a cream background
Shop the Look

Scalloped Short Tumblers, Blush, Set of 4

The fluted rim and soft blush hue this cider sangria was poured for, 8oz each, ready for the next gathering.

$54.99 Shop These Glasses

Fall evenings arrive quietly, somewhere between the last warm afternoon and the first night you actually reach for a sweater. This cider sangria is built for exactly that stretch of time. Spiced, a little sweet, and ready in the time it takes to slice an apple.

Because the best fall evenings are the ones spent outside a little longer, glass in hand.
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