These 20 summer Sangria recipes are refreshing, delicious, use of ALL the in-season produce, and will no doubt get you through the hottest July afternoons!
Nothing says summer like a pitcher of something cold and fruity that you can share with friends. So let’s talk about everyone’s favorite hot weather drink: SANGRIA!
Sangria is a perfect summer drink that you can do SO much with. It can be white, pink, carbonated, red, purple… you get it. You can pretty much have a different Sangria for every day of the week.
But what makes a Sangria a SUMMER Sangria? For me, it needs to be:
1. Refreshing
2. Uber fruity
3. Chilled (don’t skimp on the ice when it’s 90 degree out, please!)
4. Filled with lots of fresh summer produce
So get ready to grab some delicious fruit and herbs straight from the garden or from your grocery store shelves. (No judgement here as someone who can’t keep plants alive.)
The following are the 20 best Sangria recipes for summer in my humble — but totally correct — opinion. Have them by the pool, while grilling, with friends, or just because it’s a Wednesday and you wanna treat yoself.
I’ll stop with the preamble, let’s get to the list!
Prosecco + strawberry + basil + St Germain Liqueur = the actual BEST summer sangria imaginable. Seriously, this recipe is a masterpiece and would make even the hottest July afternoon bearable.
With rosé, rose petal simple syrup, and edible roses, this absolutely gorgeous sangria is basically summer in a glass. It's a perfect for a fancy summer brunch and should be the go-to drink of every garden party.
Nothing says summer like a bouquet of fresh berries in your drink! This recipe uses two types of wine -- a white and a sparkling -- with triple sec, lime juice, mint, and whatever berries you have lying around. It looks delicious and would be perfect for the fourth of July!
Cucumber and honeydew are two summer favorites, and this recipe creatively puts them together to make a delicious, summery sangria! The recipe also uses St. Germain liqueur and white rum to give this light tasting sangria a big ol' kick.
For my fellow Southerners out there, sweet tea is a necessary beverage in the summertime. And thanks to the addition of wine, triple sec, & some seasonal fruits, this ain't your grandma's sweet tea. (If it is, I'd love to meet your grandma.)
This Sangria is basically a riff on a Pīna Colada and would be wonderful to sip on a beach deck. If you don't have a beach deck on hand though, the rum, passion fruit juice, and pineapple simple syrup will bring the tropics to your mouth.
Two of my personal favorite summertime ingredients are the star of this Sangria! Watermelon and mint taste like summer, especially when used in conjunction, and this recipe includes a mint simple syrup to give it an extra minty kick.
The only drink better for summer than Sangria is probably a Margarita, and this recipe brilliantly combines the two to bring you the best of both worlds. The recipe even uses cilantro to make it extra summery, and it would go fantastically with all the chips and guac.
Listen ya'll, I love my floral ingredients in the summertime, and this recipe is calling my NAME. It's as simple as it is beautiful and essentially only requires three ingredients: lavender syrup, blueberries, and sparkling wine.
Who doesn't love fresh mango in the summertime? This amazing recipe calls for fresh mango, mango puree, rosé, mint, and sparkling raspberry juice. That means you get the fizzy, the sweet, and the fresh all in one gorgeous drink.
The only thing that could beat Sangria in the summer is a Sangria slushy. This boozy slushy uses a blend of frozen pineapple, mango, and papaya along with white wine and Calamansi juice, which is a Filipino lemonade-limeade hybrid. You really can have it all...
Apricot is a truly underrated summer fruit, and this recipe allows it to shine in all of its delicious glory. It's basically a Negroni but with white wine and apricot juice instead of gin -- who couldn't get on board with that?
Sorrel, which is a type of Hibiscus that makes a sweet yet tart drink, is the star of this sangria. You can use the tropical fruits of your choice along with the sorrel, but the author recommends mango, pineapple, papaya, kiwi, and strawberry. Add in some wine and dark rum, and you have yourself a vitamin-filled Sangria!
Nectarines are basically the under-appreciated sibling of the peach. Thanks to their higher sugar content though, they make a mean sangria when combined with a dry white wine and St. Germain. They also have 2x more vitamin A, so take THAT peaches.
I know, I know... I was just throwing shade at peaches. But in truth, they're probably in my top 3 favorite summer fruits. This recipe goes ALL in on the peach with peach juice, peach liqueur, and fresh peaches.
If you've never tried lychee before, now is your chance! It's a super fun summer fruit that pairs beautifully with citrus and (of course) wine and vodka.
A lot of people associate rosemary with hearty winter dishes, but it's equally lovely in light, summery dishes. This sangria uses rosé, lemon vodka, and apple cider, which all complement rosemary incredibly well.
I figured this round up needed at least one more frozen sangria recipe. (If it were up to me, they would ALL be slushified). This innovative yet simple recipe combines everyone's favorite -- or at least second favorite? -- orange fruit with gin and sauvignon blanc.
Strawberry lemonade is already a classic summer drink, and all you need is a little bit of wine to turn it into a boozy, adult version of the beverage. This sangria sounds refreshing and light, and you can easily adjust the recipe based on how sweet or tart you like your lemonade.
Okay I lied, the list needed yet another frozen recipe! To end this roundup, I wanted to include my favorite summer sangria recipe in the world that is SO simple to make. The recipe calls for simple syrup and vodka, but really if you just have a rosé or a white wine lying around, that's all you need to mix with frozen watermelon to make a beautiful Sangria. Trust me and thank me later.
I don’t know about ya’ll, but I won’t consider it a successful summer until I’ve whipped up at least half of the Sangrias on this list. Also, if you have a favorite fruit, herb, wine, etc that you love adding to a summer sangria, please let me know in the comment section! I’m always looking to try (and drink) new things, and it’s going to be a long, HOT HOT HOT summer here in NC. Need to keep as hydrated as possible.
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