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Easy Cozy Spiced Apple Cider Sangria with Cinnamon Sticks

spiced apple cider sangria - featured image
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This cozy spiced apple cider sangria with cinnamon sticks is a quick and easy fall drink that comes together in about 10 minutes of active prep. It’s perfect for gatherings and is made with simple ingredients like apple cider, wine, cinnamon sticks, and fresh fruit.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine (Merlot or Zinfandel recommended)
  • 2 cups apple cider (unfiltered preferred)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1/4 cup orange liqueur (Triple Sec or Cointreau)
  • 3–4 cinnamon sticks (whole)
  • 2 star anise pods (optional)
  • 1 apple (Honeycrisp or Fuji), cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1 pear (firm but ripe), cored and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries (optional)
  • Extra cinnamon sticks for garnish
  • Ice cubes (optional)
  • Sparkling water or ginger ale (for a fizzy variation, optional)

Instructions

  1. Prep your fruit. Wash the apple, pear, and orange thoroughly. Core the apple and pear (leave the peel on). Slice them into thin rounds, about 1/4 inch thick. Slice the orange into similar rounds. If using cranberries, rinse them.
  2. Combine the liquid base. In a large pitcher, pour the entire bottle of red wine. Add the apple cider. In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and orange liqueur until well combined, then pour into the pitcher. Stir gently.
  3. Add the spices. Drop in the cinnamon sticks and star anise pods. Do not crumble or break them.
  4. Layer in the fruit. Add the sliced apple, pear, orange rounds, and cranberries. Gently push them down into the liquid so they are mostly submerged.
  5. Chill and infuse. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  6. Give it a stir before serving. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed by adding more maple syrup.
  7. Serve and garnish. Fill glasses about 3/4 full with the sangria, including some fruit in each glass. Top with a fresh cinnamon stick for garnish. If adding sparkling water or ginger ale, pour about 1/4 cup per glass just before serving and stir gently.
  8. Don’t forget the fruit. After the sangria is gone, the fruit can be eaten on its own or spooned over vanilla ice cream.

Notes

For a quicker infusion, gently warm the apple cider with the cinnamon sticks for 5 minutes, let cool, then combine with the wine. This gives decent flavor in 1-2 hours. Use firm, ripe fruit to avoid mushiness. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. The sangria can be frozen in ice cube trays for future use.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider sangria, spiced sangria, fall sangria, cinnamon sticks, easy sangria, red wine sangria, apple cider drink

Find it online: https://sparklechew.com/easy-cozy-spiced-apple-cider-sangria-with-cinnamon-sticks/