Fall Sangria with Apple Cider

This delicious Fall Sangria with Apple Cider will have you wishing it were fall all year round! With fresh pears, apples and maple syrup, the flavors go together perfectly and complement the white wine in the sangria. Add in a little pear flavored vodka and fresh apple cider, and it's like fall in a glass!

Fresh apple cider is a fall favorite around here! If you can't get fresh, I definitely suggest using an apple cider concentrate (instead of apple juice) in its place.

Looking for more fall drink ideas? Try out this Apple Cider Mimosa for another easy and crowd-pleasing sipper! Another delicious apple cider based drink to try is this Apple Cinnamon Bourbon Cocktail or this tasty martini using fresh apple cider.

Another fall themed idea is the Hot Apple Cider Cocktail with Rum. Or for a more creamy and rich option, try out this Pumpkin Pie Martini -- soo good for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

The ingredients you'll need to have to make this sangria are:

• Dry white wine - a Pinot Grigio works well in this sangria.
• Fresh apple cider
• Pear-flavored vodka - I used Grey Goose La Poire - Pear Vodka. This vodka is also delicious in a Pear Martini!
• Maple syrup - I used Runamok Maple Syrup.

Fruits and spices always make sangria better! Here's what I suggest using:

• Fresh apple - honeycrisp apples are great, or any apple on the sweet side with a little tanginess. Macintosh or Macoun work well too.
• Fresh pear - I used Bartlett pears, but keep in mind that the pear ripeness is more important than the variety.
• Fresh lemon
• Cinnamon sticks, or whole star anise for garnish.

Substitutions

Don't have one of the ingredients on hand? Here are some substitution ideas:

• White wine - you can use a dry rosé wine instead of white.
• Fresh apple cider - you can use regular apple juice instead, or mix water and boiled cider concentrate.
• Pear-flavored vodka - you can infuse vodka with fresh pears for a few days to make your own pear vodka, or just use unflavored vodka. You could also use apple brandy instead.
• Maple syrup - you can use honey instead of the maple syrup, or plain simple syrup.
• Fruit - if you are missing any of the fruit, you can try out different varieties of fruits to use instead. Quince, persimmon, grapefruit and orange would all go well in this drink!

Variations

Sangria is such a fun drink, and just by changing some things around you can make it into something new! Try out these variations on this Fall Sangria:

• Spiced Autumn Sangria - add in a bunch of mulling spices with the fruit, and allow it to steep for several hours at least to soak up the spice flavors.
• Mint Sangria - add fresh mint along with the fruit. Don't muddle it, but just clap it between your hands before adding it in.
• Ginger Sangria - add about a quarter ounce of fresh ginger juice, and add some fresh ginger slices along with the fruit.

Equipment

You'll need a large pitcher that will hold around 6 cups, or 1.5 liters. You'll also need a cutting board and sharp knife to cut the fruit into slices, along with a cutting board.

Also, you'll want to have a jigger or a measuring cup, and serving glasses. Wine glasses or old fashioned glasses both work well. I used these beautiful Godinger Dublin Old Fashioned Glasses.

Instructions

To make this Fall Sangria with Apple Cider, start out by cutting your fruit into slices. Set a few slices aside to put in the serving glasses, and use the cut lemon pieces to rub some lemon juice on the cut parts of the apple and pear. This will prevent the apple and pear pieces from browning.

Add the rest of the fruit slices into your pitcher. Then, add the pear vodka, maple syrup and apple cider. Stir with a long bar spoon to dissolve the maple syrup.

Add in the entire bottle of white wine, and stir everything up again with a long bar spoon. You can optionally add a cinnamon stick or two to amp up the flavor. Then let the sangria rest and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to 24 hours.

Add the fruit slices you had set aside to your serving glasses, and pour in the sangria. Or, if you prefer, you can just pour in the sangria and add some of the fruit that's already been soaking in the serving glass. You can also add a cinnamon stick as an extra garnish.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sangria

Top Tip

If you get a bulk pack of cinnamon sticks, they last a really long time -- even years! -- and keep their flavor much better than ground cinnamon. (You can find them here on Amazon: McCormick Cinnamon Sticks.)

Also, the sticks themselves are usually much longer and tend to look better then getting a small pack at the grocery store!