Strawberry Sangria

Strawberry sangria is the best fruity drink, full of berry flavor and rosé wine! Here’s how to make this stunning cocktail…Spanish style.

If you love berries and you love sangria…then you must drop everything and make this now. Presenting…the perfect Strawberry Sangria! Many American-style sangria recipes are just glorified fruit juice. But this one is Spanish style, full of nuance and character. The berries sing and the dry rosé notes peak through just enough. Serve it with a splash of sparkling water and a skewer of fruit, and it’s pretty darn perfect…we think. (In fact, it reminds us of our popular Frozen rosé recipe!)

Ingredients for strawberry sangria

Sangría is a classic Spanish wine punch that’s got 100 variations on it. But keep in mind: typically American versions of the stuff are so sweet and fruity, we’d barely call them sangria! The classic Spanish version is red sangria, made with red wine and chopped fruit, and often orange juice or brandy. Spaniards also drink white sangria, a version made with white wine.

This strawberry sangria is a spin that uses a strawberry puree and rosé wine for a creative spin on the classic. You’ll need the following ingredients:

• Fruit: fresh strawberries, orange, and lemon
• Sugar
• Rosé wine
• Triple sec or Grand Marnier
• Soda water, optional
• Fresh mint, for the garnish

How to make strawberry sangria

After living in Spain for a few months, I inherited a passion for Spanish foods done right! So this sangria method is Spanish-style, inspired by our favorite chef, Jose Andres. Strawberry flavored sangria is not traditionally Spanish, so we simply used the signature methods to create this unique spin. Here are the main steps (or jump right to the recipe):

• Macerate the strawberries, then puree: Place sugar on the sliced berries and let them stand at room temperature: this technique is called maceration (you may have done it for strawberry shortcake). Then blend the berries in a blender until smooth.
• Add liquids: Add the puree, wine and triple sec or Grand Marnier to a pitcher, and throw in some orange and lemon slices and some fresh sliced strawberries.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This allows the flavors to meld and develop! After 1 hour, you’re good to go: but you can refrigerate for up to 4 hours if you want to make it in advance.

Grand Marnier vs Cointreau vs triple sec…and a substitute

What’s Grand Marnier and do you have to buy a whole new bottle for this strawberry sangria? Here’s a little breakdown on this top shelf orange liqueur and a few substitutes:

• Grand Marnier: Grand Marnier is a French liqueur that blends Cognac, bitter orange and sugar. It’s the highest end of the orange liqueurs, but only by a few dollars per bottle.
• Cointreau: Cointreau has an orange perfume flavor and is used in lots of cocktails, most famously the classic margarita. It’s great in this sangria!
• Triple Sec: Triple sec is the lowest end orange liqueur. The flavor is not nearly as developed as the other two, but it works!

What’s a substitute if you don’t have any of these liqueurs? Brandy! You can use brandy instead, since it’s traditionally used in sangria as well. It works if you have a bottle on hand!

Make ahead instructions

You can make this strawberry sangria in advance, but don’t go beyond 4 hours in advance. Why? The fruit starts to become soggy and the flavors fade. So, don’t plan to make this drink too far in advance! You can cut up the fruit and even make the strawberry puree beforehand. But don’t start the actual instructions until you’re no more than 4 hours away from serving time.

More types of sangria

That’s it…how to make the most delicious strawberry sangria! in fact, it’s one of our favorites in our growing list of sangria recipes. Here are a few more to have you covered for every season:

• Go classic with Red Sangria or White Sangria 
• In the summer, sample fruity Watermelon Sangria or delicate Peach Sangria 
• For fall, go with Apple Sangria or Fall Sangria
• Opt for Frozen Sangria, an icy version of the standard

This strawberry sangria recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.

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More strawberry drinks

The strawberry is the perfect fruit to add to mixed drinks…and smoothies! Here are a few strawberry cocktails and fruity smoothies that make the most of this berry:

• Go classic with a Strawberry Daiquiri or Virgin Strawberry Daiquiri
• Add tequila and mix up the best Strawberry Margarita
• Grab the bubbles for a Strawberry Mimosa
• Prep for a party with Strawberry Vodka Spritzer
• Blend up a Perfect Strawberry Smoothie or Strawberry Blueberry Smoothie