A delicious and refreshing red wine sangria, this Blueberry Sangria is made with fruity red Cabernet Sauvignon, fresh summer blueberries, brandy, orange juice, and garnished with mint. Delicious year-round, this easy blueberry sangria recipe is sure to be your new favorite cocktail.
Blueberry Sangria
Summer means beach trips, flip-flops, outdoor eating, hunting down the very last shady parking spot…and delicious, refreshing, fruity drinks. For a long time, summer drinks translated to margaritas or a cold beer, but I’m learning that there are much more exciting drinks just waiting to be discovered. What could be more delicious than these classic summertime refreshers, you ask? Blueberry Sangria.
WHAT IS SANGRIA?
Sangria is a Spanish drink or punch, consisting of wine, chopped fruits, sugar or juice. Sangria is commonly served throughout all parts of Spain, as it is the country’s more popular drink.
Which reminds me- have you been to Spain? Spain is amazing! It makes total sense that such a cool, hip, FUN, drink would be from such an awesome country. Anyway…
- It is believed that Sangria dates back to the Middle Ages when water was unsafe to drink.
- Sangria appeared in the US during the 1964 World’s Fair
- The word “sangria” comes from the Latin word for blood.
- Traditional sangria was made with red wine, chopped fruit (particularly orange and apples), orange juice, and brandy.
INGREDIENTS IN THIS BLUEBERRY SANGRIA
- Blueberries
- Oranges
- Lemon
- Limes
- Whiskey
- Orange Juice
- 1 bottle J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
- Carbonated water-
- Ice
- Mint
The ingredients in this Blueberry Sangria Recipe are pretty simple and easy to find, thank goodness.
But what do I mean by carbonated water?
- You can use plain, unflavored, no sugar added carbonated water
- Lemon-lime soda
- Soda water
- Blueberry flavored carbonated juice
- etc.
I have made this Blueberry Sangria twice and have used both plain, no-sugar-added carbonated bubble water and lemon-lime soda. Both are great and delicious, it just depends on how sugary you prefer your drinks.
HOW TO MAKE BLUEBERRY SANGRIA
All sangria recipes call for a few simple components, that, when mixed together make a magical, delicious, fruity wine punch.
Or not.
Sometimes, sangria turns out pretty bad. But, don’t worry, I won’t let that happen to you. That said, to make any sangria recipe you will need-
- Wine. The type of wine you use will vary depending on what type of sangria you are looking to make- red, white, sparkling?
- Stronger stuff. As mentioned above, it is believed that the more “traditional” sangria was mixed with brandy, as I used for this Blueberry Sangria Recipe. However, why limit yourself? Try something new like vodka, rum, flavored liqueur, etc.
- A Mixer. Sangria, when done correctly, is delicious and dangerous. So, unless you want to be asleep on the floor by 10 pm, it is recommended that a little juice or carbonated water be added.
- Sweetener. Some people add sugar. Some people do not. In the case of this Blueberry Sangria, added sugar was NOT necessary. That said, I can’t speak for all Sangria recipes.
- Fruit. Fresh, ripe, seasonal fruit is always the best choice.
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BLUEBERRY SANGRIA
I’m not going to claim to be the best sangria maker in the whole world. However, I do know how to make two really AMAZING sangria recipes- this Blueberry Sangria Recipe and this Autumn Rosé Sangria with Apples and Pomegranates. And, after quite some time both making, and drinking, sangria, I have learned a few tips on making the very best sangria that you can!
- Use a wine you know you’ll love. I already knew that I loved J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, so it was the obvious pick. You will often hear people discuss if inexpensive or more expensive wine should be used in sangria and my advice is to use a wine that you would happily drink alone, by the glass. Of course, if that bottle is $200 and you’re making sangria for 20 people, you may need to make an exception.
- Fresh, ripe, seasonal fruit is always best. It doesn’t matter if you’re soaking fruit in booze, unripe fruit is unripe fruit and always will be. Fresh, ripe blueberries will produce a much more beautiful flavor than their unripe and bitter comrades.
- Muddle the fruit in the hard alcohol and juice…but not too much. You don’t want a pulpy mess, but a little muddling to help release some of the flavors is never a bad idea.
- Don’t add too much hard stuff.
- But don’t forget the hard stuff either.
- Make sure you let the fruit and the wine soak for at least 30 minutes before adding any carbonated water and serving.
- On the flip side, longer is not always better- it’s best to enjoy your sangria within 24 hours.
If you try this Blueberry Sangria, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
For more cocktail recipes check out,
- Sparkling Passion Fruit and Pineapple Margaritas
- How to Make a Gin and Tonic
- Spiced Mulled Wine with Blackberries
- Spicy Red Wine Hot Chocolate
- Pear and Apple Fall Sangria Recipe
- Cucumber Rosemary Gin and Tonic
- Golden Beet and Tomato Bloody Mary
DON’T FORGET TO PIN AND SHARE THIS REFRESHING BLUEBERRY SANGRIA RECIPE TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY ALL SUMMER LONG.
Blueberry Sangria
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 orange - thinly sliced
- 1 lime - sliced
- 1 lemon - sliced
- 1 cup brandy
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 bottle J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon - 750ml
- Ice
- Chilled carbonated water or lemon-lime soda - for serving
- Fresh mint - to garnish
Instructions
- Add the fresh blueberries, orange, lime, and lemon slices to a large pitcher. Add the brandy (or whiskey) and orange juice and gently muddle to extract the flavors of the fruit into the juice and alcohol.
- Pour the J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon into the pitcher and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- When ready to serve, fill a glass with ice and fill three-fourths of the way full with sangria. Top off each glass with bubbly water or lemon-lime soda. Garnish with additional blueberries and fresh mint, if desired.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
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