Apple Cinnamon Sangria

Alex is a marine biologist, aquarist, lover of animals, and an experienced veterinary assistant. She loves to write about cooking.

The Inspiration

So, I am sure that you have seen the video floating around Facebook that shows you how to make a cinnamon apple sangria. I did too. In fact, that was what inspired my delicious beverage.

I ended up making a few unexpected tweaks. Considering I have no basis for comparison I really don't know if my drink is better than the original. But, I can say that I served it to three ladies that are: 1) not fans of wine, 2) had never had sangria before, and 3) didn't seem too excited what I told them I was making it. All of them had seconds, and some even had thirds, before the night was over.

The Drink Itself

When I first saw the video on Facebook I knew that I had to have this drink. It sounded like the perfect embodiment of fall in a glass. I love apples, pears, and apple cider is one of my favorite things about fall. Not to mention I am a fan of wine and sangria is always my happy hour choice. I was trying to decide how I was going to be able to justify making this at home.

Then the perfect opportunity presented itself. I was having a get together for a ladies-only party. I didn't know exactly how many people were coming, and I didn't care. It was perfect. I was going to get to try this drink!

I'll tell you this: it lives up to the hype. The smell of cinnamon was just unreal. You could practically taste the apples. And of course the aromas blended perfectly when they were put together.

How Long Will It Take?

There was so much fruit that I decided to leave out one pear. I don't think anyone noticed.

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Ingredients

• 4 apples, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 pears, chopped into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 bottle cinnamon whiskey, any brand
• 1 bottle pinot grigio, the cheapest you can find
• 1/2 gallon apple cider, I prefer to buy local cider when I can

Instructions

1. The first thing you are going to want to do is chop the apples and the pears. I put the pieces in a large bowl, like a punch bowl, as that makes it easier to add all the liquid ingredients to the fruit.
2. Pour the cinnamon whiskey, all of it, over the apple and pear pieces. Cover the bowl and let the boozy fruit sit for 2 hours. I prefer to put it in the fridge so my drink is chilled when I serve it.
3. Pour the entire bottle of wine and apple cider to the fruit and whiskey mixture. Stash your new drink in the fridge if not serving immediately.
4. When portioning out the drink, make sure to give the liquid a little stir first to mix up the layers of liquids. Also, add a little of the boozy fruit to the glass for a nice presentation. Be careful not to add too much fruit to the glass as it will make it harder to drink.

Possible Changes

The original recipe called for six apples and three pears. I'll be completely honest with you, it was a lot. I ended up using only two pears because I thought the bowl was getting a little too full of fruit. Also, I'm fairly confident that I was the only one that even ate the fruit. If you want a more fruity sangria I say go for it, but I don't think it will change the flavor too much to use less fruit. Now, when I make this delicious beverage I only use one pear and three apples. I haven't noticed a difference in the final product.

If you like your sangria on the bubbly side then try adding a little club soda or ginger ale right before you are ready to serve. If you add it too early all of the carbonation will be gone and your sangria will be flat, which defeats the entire purpose of adding the carbonated component. That being said, if you think you will have a fair bit of leftovers I would forgo the club soda or ginger ale. You could also have your guests that wish for a bubbly drink pour a little ginger ale or club soda in the bottle of the glass before adding the sangria.

If you like a lot of spice, and in this case I am talking about cinnamon, you can add a cinnamon stick to the glass as you serve. It looks pretty and will add extra aroma and flavor. Considering I could only smell cinnamon after I poured the entire bottle of cinnamon whiskey I think the drink is spiced enough. However, the cinnamon stick does take the presentation up a notch.

If you can find pear cider try switching it out for the apple cider. It would make a unique flavor that is just as "fall" as apple cider. The crispness of the pinot grigio would really pair nicely with the pear flavor.

If you are worried about the sangria getting watered down by ice you can freeze some grapes and add them to the drink to keep it cool. Or you could have your sangria pitcher sitting in a bowl filled with ice.

Perfect Pitcher

So, How Was It?

It was amazing! I didn't get a chance to try a glass before my guests arrived. I was a little nervous that it wouldn't taste good. When one by one each of them got refills I was feeling much better. Even my boyfriend, who isn't a big fan of fruit, loved it.

That being said this recipe makes a lot of sangria. A lot. If you don't have a lot of people I would strongly consider halving this recipe. My boyfriend and I have been trying to finish it off for days. The good news is we had a batch in our fridge for up to three days and it tasted just as good on day three as it did on day one.

The last few times I've made this I've used an entire gallon of apple cider. It is still an absolutely delicious drink! I'd even go as far as to say that it is a bit smoother. My boyfriend and I attended a Friendsgiving and we brought this. Using a whole gallon of apple cider, a 750ml bottle of wine, and a 750ml bottle of whiskey I needed to use two-gallon pitchers to get it to my friend's house. It was a huge hit! It wasn't too strong and was perfect for sipping while having a great time with friends and family. Most of the people that had it asked for the recipe. I know I, and several other guests, had several glasses that night.

It really is the perfect drink for the fall and holiday season. I look forward to making each year and I even have friends that request that I make it for events.

Closing Out

I hope that you enjoy this beverage as much as I did. I would love to hear of any changes you made.

And remember, always drink responsibly. Sangria has a habit of sneaking up on you.

Enjoy!