How to make Hot Holiday Sangrias?

Hot Cranberry & Brandy and Citrus Sangrias

During the holidays we all like having something warm and cozy. Especially during these cold nights. What’s better than celebrating the holidays with a warm cocktail? You can be chilling outside by the fire with a delicious cocktail that keeps you in the holiday spirit with its seasonal flavors. This beverage will keep you warm and cozy as your chilling by the fire on these chilling nights. Sounds a little strange… But, don’t judge yet. Try it out and let us know what you think. 

Warm cocktails are actually a common thing around the world. These kinds of beverages are typically made in a big quantity called punch or “ponche”. Basically you cook certain types of fruit together with some seasonal ingredients and sugar. Then you serve yourself some and spike it with some liquor. The commonly used liquors for these beverages are rum, whiskey, and cognac/brandy. However, you can use whatever you desire.

In this tutorial we made similar beverages based on the seasonal punches around the world. However, our recipe is for an individual beverage, and not for a big quantity. If you would like to make this in a big quantity, it is easily achievable by adjusting the ingredient portions. 

We made two variations, one contains more citrus flavors and the other based more on cranberries and spices. They are super simple to make and can be made in minutes. The directions for both beverages will be similar.

Citrus Sangria

This beverage contains strong citrus notes coming from the peel of the fruit. Using only the peel of the citrus fruits will add citrus notes to the beverage without changing the strong flavors of the wine. The cinnamon and cloves add seasonal flavors when heated up together. We decided to use honey as a sweetener. In fact,  the honey broadens the fruity flavors in this cocktail.

Hot Citrus Sangria

You will need the following ingredients:

• Red wine filled up (6 to 8 oz)
• Honey 1 tsp  
• Orange peel- few chopped pieces
• Lemon peel- few chopped pieces
• Green apple- few chopped pieces
• Clove 3 pieces
• Cinnamon stick 1

Directions:

After preparing all of your ingredients, add them all to your glass. Fill up your glass with your red wine. It should be about 6 to 8 ounces of wine. Add everything from your glass into your saucepan. Let your beverage heat up on medium to low heat. Allow your beverage to heat up until you see signs of boiling. Once you see signs that it is about to boil, turn off the heat. You want to avoid the wine from burning. Lastly, pour your beverage into your glass and enjoy while it’s hot. (You can use the cinnamon stick as a stirrer and to keep giving out flavors)

Spice Sangria

This hot beverage definitely has more flavors of spices. The combinations of the flavors are strong and brings in a strong seasonal vibe. The cranberry gives it a good tart and fruity balance to the spices and wine. The brandy brings out the spice notes and gives a subtle sweetness. We decided to use simple syrup as this choice enhances the sweet flavors without changing the flavors. 

Hot Cranberry & Brandy Sangria

You will need the following ingredients:

• Brandy ½ oz
• Red wine filled up (6 to 8 oz)
• Fresh cranberry about 8 pieces
• Simple syrup ½ oz 
• Cinnamon stick 1
• Allspice 3 pieces 

Directions:

First you will need to add all of the ingredients (except for the wine)  into your glass. Then with the remaining space, fill up your glass with your red wine. It should be about 6 to 8 ounces of wine. Now dump everything into your saucepan. Let your beverage heat up on medium to low heat. Allow your beverage to heat up until you see signs of boiling. Once you see signs that it is about to boil, turn off the heat. You want to avoid the wine from burning. Lastly, pour your beverage into your glass and enjoy while it’s hot. Keep in mind that the cranberries won’t be fully cooked. Therefore, keeping them in your beverage will release more flavors as you consume your cocktail. (You can also use the cinnamon stick as a stirrer)

Need Bartending services?

Let us know how these hot cocktails turned out for you by leaving us a comment down below. If you are looking for mobile bartending services near you, contact us. In fact, we have bartenders for hire that can make these hot cocktails right at your event. You and your guests can enjoy a warm and cozy night with these spiked beverages during these seasonal events. Check us out here.

Take a look at this blog that you might find interesting, or check out our YouTube channel for more video tutorials.