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This is not a recipe blog, and I seriously considered not posting this. But I was so delighted to find this sangria method this summer that I wanted to share my happy discovery with you.

I’m a big fan of sangria for hot summer days: it’s tasty, fun, and festive.

But it has its drawbacks. In addition to the wine, most recipes call for two kinds of liquor and boatloads of hand-chopped fruit. The former is expensive and the latter is highly perishable.

It’s a high-maintenance drink, despite its low-maintenance vibe.

But then I heard about a sangria technique that was too simple not to try, especially because we make this stuff by the pitcher for backyard summer gatherings.

Ruby red sangria

the label is terrific, but the wine isn’t that good. you’ve been warned. 

This method adds only grapefruit juice, limes, and a little sugar for sweetness to the obligatory red wine.

You can make it in two minutes, the ingredients stay fresh for a week in the fridge, and it’s not as strong as the stuff fortified with brandy and triple sec—a plus in my book.

This is our house recipe, arrived at after much tinkering. We err on the not-so-sweet side around here: I don’t mind a sugar-free version a bit, although I might not serve it to guests who are expecting the sweet stuff. If you like your sangria on the sweet side, double the sugar.

For an alcohol-free version, try it with cranberry juice (eliminating the sugar) or black tea.

Ruby red sangria

• 1 bottle red wine (I typically use a cab or merlot)
• 1 cup grapefruit juice
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• juice from two limes, plus an additional lime for garnish, if desired
• club soda, optional

In a large pitcher, combine wine, grapefruit juice, sugar, and lime juice. Serve over ice. If desired, add a splash of club soda and lime slices to garnish.

Note: this is one of the few unitaskers I have in my kitchen, because it is genius at juicing citrus.


Ruby red sangria

p.s. More cold drinks for hot summer days

23 comments

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  1. Sara K. says:

    I made some homemade sangria this summer and took a similar approach. I didn’t want to invest in the liquor (nor do I want it quite that strong), so I used red wine, sprite and some chopped fruit that I had already. It was delicious! The sprite sweetened it enough that I didn’t have to add any additional sugar. Next time I may try your method with the juice instead of the sprite! 🙂

  2. Meghan says:

    I just love sangria! Anytime we have a date night (oh, about every 6 months or so!), I always get sangria. I am definitely trying this!

  3. Jessica says:

    It’s not a recipe blog but it’s nice to have a change of content sometimes (not from you, just in general). It gives more the readers perspective on other aspects of your life 🙂 Anyway, I will have to try this. The recipes I have are pretty fussy. I’ll never forget when I was in college, traveling through Spain, the bars were making Sangria with red wine and orange fanta soda. It was delicious at the time (I wonder how I would feel about it now in my 30s?).

  4. Beth says:

    This is perfect. We’re having friends over Friday night and I think your sangria will be the perfect low maintenance “fun” drink. I’m glad you posted this!

  5. Karlyne says:

    You can also use a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc (NOT Chardonnay) and float some peaches in it, too… Coooooool on a hot day!

  6. Tim says:

    Best time I ever had sangria was in a dive down some alley in Madrid. I don’t remember what the sangria tasted like, but it was a fun night!

  7. Michelle says:

    Oh, I love this! My college roomate and I used to do a version of this sangria. We’d poor wine, OJ, fizzy water and ice in plastic cups and walk down to the beach. Still some of my favorite memories!

  8. Elizabeth says:

    I made this exact recipe for the first time on the Fourth of July, and I’ve been dreaming of it ever since! Since I spent the day with a lot of boys who had brought beer, I had the sangria to myself . . . until my boyfriend stole a sip and proceeded to help me finish it all. So good! Have you tried fall sangria? I’ve seen a ton of recipes for it on Pinterest and plan on trying it this autumn.

    • Ann Perrigo says:

      Or you can use the sangria recipe that’s in Relish by Lucy Knisley! As I recall, it’s a bit more complicated than your recipe, Anne, but oh-so-good!

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