Apple Cinnamon Sangria

Last week I enjoyed this delicious Apple Cinnamon Sangria while visiting my brother-in-law and his family in Massachusetts. We went road trippin’ from Minnesota and three kids ages 3 to 8. Um, yeah. We actually did that. Not exactly fun to spend three days on the road each way.  I thought it would be a nightmare, but ended up being not so bad. It certainly helped that when we arrived we were treated to great hosts. We enjoyed some wonderful food and plenty of drinks galore! I have to admit, nothing beats a sangria after a long day of sightseeing with the kids.

The apples had a chance to sit overnight and let me tell you, they tasted like candy.

A delicious, still slightly crisp candy that can give you a buzz.

Yum.

Ingredients

2 bottles (750 ml) red wine (We used Cabernet Sauvignon)

1/2 cup brandy (optional)

1/2 cup white sugar

3 crisp apples, sliced

2 cinnamon sticks

1 and 1/2 liters club soda (or lemon-lime soda)

Directions

Mix together all ingredients in a large pitcher, except for club soda to let all of the flavors blend. The longer the apples have a chance to soak up the wine, the better so I suggest letting it sit for several hours before serving. (These pictures were taken 12+ hours after mixing.) Stir in club soda just before serving.

If you don’t like your sangria overly sweet you can reduce the amount of sugar. Lemon lime soda also adds to the sweetness so if you opt for that over the club soda, I’d recommend lowering the sugar or skipping the sugar altogether.

My sister in law chose pink lady apples for her sangria and they were so delicious! I highly recommend choosing a extra crisp sweet apple such as honeycrisp, braeburn, fuji or gala.

 

While this sangria is certainly refreshing for the summer months, the flavors would really work well for fall and the holidays. I say enjoy it year round! Anytime is a good time for sangria, right?