Apple Cider Sangria

 

Though I'm not much of a wine drinker, I'm a huge fan of sangria. Red, white, it doesn't matter. I like it all. So it makes perfect sense that I'm in love with this Apple Cider Sangria too. It would make for a perfect beverage on Thanksgiving, or, you know, on a quiet fall Saturday when you might want a nice cocktail to sip on while taking a bubble bath. I've made it for both of those occasions and can attest that it's a perfect drink for any situation, particularly at this time of year.

The original recipe is from my food blogging idol, who I kind of want to be best friends with, Jessica at How Sweet It Is. I followed her recipe pretty closely, but cut down the number of apples and pears from three each to just two each. The first time I made it, I used three of each kind of fruit and it was way more than I needed. You can see in the photos that there's already a substantial amount of fruit, so I wrote the recipe below with the quantities I now use.

Apple Cider Sangria

Recipe from How Sweet It Is

Ingredients:

1 bottle (750 mL) of pinot grigio (I tried a new kind, Fancy Pants, because I just loved the label so much!)
2 1/2 cups apple cider
1 cup club soda
1/2 cup brandy (use ginger brandy if you can find it; I often can't)
2 apples, chopped (I used Braeburn because they were on sale)

2 pears, chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and stir to mix well. Refrigerate for at least an hour (longer is better) before serving.