Orange Ginger Sangria

This Orange Ginger Sangria is citrusy, sweet and refreshing. With only 6 ingredients, this make-ahead cocktail is excellent for a dinner party and will definitely impress your guests.

November is already here. I have started to think about Thanksgiving. This sangria will be great for a big dinner party, because this is made a few hours ahead and easy to assemble when serving.

This recipe is inspired by a Japanese restaurant, Suika we went to in Vancouver. The food was amazing, and the drinks was exceptional too! Bryan ordered this sangria and he kept saying how good it was. I gave it a try and I knew I have to recreate at home.

Sangria is a classic Spanish drink, so it makes sense to use Spanish wine. We picked up this Tempranillo from Talma. It’s medium-bodied with a fresh and fruity taste. It is exactly what we were looking for. You can use other Spanish wine too, like Garnacha, or Rioja.

Before making the sangria, prepare the ginger syrup. Cut the ginger root into small pieces, then slightly smashed them with the side of the knife. Combine with sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain out the root and that is the syrup. This can be made ahead and keep in the fridge.

Now, you have all the ingredients, it’s time to make the sangria. In a large pitcher, combine wine, triple sec, ginger syrup and orange slices. Cover and let the flavors come together in the fridge for 2 – 4 hours. When ready to serve, add ice in cups, pour some sangria and top with 4 ounces of tonic water. It’s ready!

This sangria is fresh, citrusy, sweet with a ginger note. The flavors are good and it’s easy to drink. You can make a big batch and just serve when guests arrive. No doubt this will become my favorite cocktail to serve for any dinner party! Hope you’ll give this a try!

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Orange Ginger Sangria

Course Drink

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword alcohol, Christmas, cocktail, easy drink, ginger sangria, holiday drink, party cocktail, sangria, thanksgiving

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Refrigerate Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Author Lokness

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Spanish red wine (750 mL) (like Tempranillo, Garnacha, or Rioja)
• 1¼ cups Triple sec
• 1¼ cups homemade ginger syrup
• 1½ fresh oranges, plus more for garnish (cut into slices)
• Ice cubes
• 4 cups cold tonic water

Homemade Ginger Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup ginger (about 4 ounces) (peeled, finely chopped and slightly smashed)

Instructions

• First, start with the ginger syrup. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, water and ginger. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and steep for 30 minutes. Strain with a fine sieve and transfer to a syrup container or mason jar. Keep in the fridge until ready to be used. Discard the ginger pieces.
• For the sangria, prepare a large pitcher. Add wine, triple sec and ginger syrup. Give a quick stir. Add the orange slices. Cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for 2 – 4 hours.
• When ready to serve, add 5 – 6 ice cubes into each cup. Fill each cup about ⅔ full with sangria, then top with 4 ounces tonic water. Give a quick stir and add a slice of orange as garnish. Serve.

Notes

1. The wine I used is Talma Tempranillo. It’s a medium-bodied Spanish wine. It’s fruity and fresh, which is great in sangria. I got it from Total Wine & More. 
2. To slightly smashed the ginger, hold your knife on the side and lay on top of the chopped ginger. Then, hit the side of the knife using the palm of your other hand (be careful and don’t get hurt). That would smash and break up the ginger a little bit, which would help to release the ginger flavors when cooking.
3. Ginger syrup can be made ahead. It will last for 2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.
4. Sangria is best to drink the same day. If you’re saving for the next couple days, I would remove and discard the orange slices. Then cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge.