14 Thanksgiving Sangria Recipes Built on Autumn Fruit

Sangria is the only drink on the Thanksgiving table that earns its spot as decor. A glass pitcher packed with sliced pears, cranberries, star anise, or dark plums does double duty: it keeps everyone topped up and it looks deliberate. Every recipe here is built around that logic. The fruit is the point. The colors run from pear green through amber to cranberry and deep plum, so pick the one that fits your tablecloth.

All fourteen versions are made the night before, which matters when Thanksgiving morning is already full. Please drink responsibly and designate a driver or arrange overnight stays before you fill the pitcher. Recipes 1 through 13 contain alcohol. Recipe 7 is fully non-alcoholic and Recipe 14 is the children’s jug. If your table mixes adults and kids, keep two pitchers going: one alcoholic, one not, and label them clearly. For a full evening of games to pair with the drinks, see 15 Thanksgiving Drinking Games for a Grown-Up Friendsgiving and 17 Friendsgiving Games for Adults That’ll Keep Everyone Laughing.

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Apple Cider Sangria with Pear and Cinnamon

This is the one to make when you want the table to smell like autumn before anyone has touched the turkey. Dry white wine keeps it from tipping sweet, apple cider does the seasonal heavy lifting, and the sliced pears float in the amber liquid like stained glass. Cinnamon sticks add visual structure and a slow warmth that builds overnight.

Make it the night before and refrigerate, covered. Add the sparkling water only when you pour it into the pitcher for the table so the bubbles stay intact. Allergen note: contains sulphites from the wine.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml dry white wine (Pinot Grigio works well)
• 480 ml fresh apple cider (not sparkling)
• 120 ml brandy
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 240 ml sparkling water, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Combine the white wine, apple cider, brandy, and lemon juice in a large pitcher or airtight container.
2. Add the pear slices, apple slices, and cinnamon sticks. Stir gently so the fruit submerges.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
4. When ready to serve, pour into your glass pitcher and top with the sparkling water. Stir once.
5. Serve over ice, making sure each glass gets a few slices of fruit and a cinnamon stick if possible.

Cranberry and Orange Red Sangria

Deep garnet in the glass, with floating orange wheels and whole cranberries that look like tiny ornaments. This is the centrepiece pitcher for a red-and-gold table. Rioja or any fruit-forward Tempranillo gives you structure, cranberry juice gives you that sharp, jewel-bright color, and orange liqueur stitches them together.

The cranberries soften overnight and turn slightly jammy, which is exactly what you want. Substitute pomegranate juice 1:1 if cranberry is unavailable. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Rioja or Tempranillo
• 360 ml unsweetened cranberry juice
• 120 ml orange liqueur (such as triple sec)
• 60 ml fresh orange juice
• 150 g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 oranges, sliced into wheels
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, to taste
• 240 ml ginger ale, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Combine the red wine, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and orange juice in a large pitcher.
2. Stir in the honey or maple syrup until dissolved.
3. Add the cranberries and orange wheels. Press the fruit gently so some submerges.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
5. Pour into a glass pitcher for the table, top with ginger ale, and serve over ice.

White Sangria with Pear and Ginger

Pale gold with translucent pear slices drifting through it, this is the elegant, quieter option for guests who find red sangria too heavy. Sauvignon Blanc keeps it crisp, fresh ginger brings a gentle heat, and elderflower liqueur adds a floral note that feels almost expensive for how little effort it takes.

Peel the ginger and slice it thin so the flavor infuses without making the liquid cloudy. Swap elderflower liqueur for 30 ml of honey dissolved in 30 ml of warm water if needed. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Sauvignon Blanc
• 240 ml pear juice or pear nectar
• 90 ml elderflower liqueur
• 60 ml fresh lime juice
• 3 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• 30 g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin coins
• 240 ml club soda, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Combine the Sauvignon Blanc, pear juice, elderflower liqueur, and lime juice in a large pitcher.
2. Add the pear slices, lemon rounds, and ginger coins. Stir gently.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
4. Taste before serving and add a teaspoon of honey if more sweetness is needed.
5. Pour into a glass serving pitcher, top with club soda, and serve immediately over ice.

Pomegranate and Apple Sangria

The color here is extraordinary: deep ruby with apple slices and pomegranate arils suspended like confetti. Grenache or a light Merlot keeps the wine from overpowering the fruit, and pomegranate juice brings tartness that balances the apple’s sweetness. This one photographs well from directly above.

Use a mandoline for the apple slices if you have one. The thinner they are, the more light passes through them in the pitcher. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Grenache or light Merlot
• 360 ml 100% pomegranate juice
• 90 ml brandy
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and very thinly sliced
• 80 g pomegranate arils (from about 1 large pomegranate)
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 240 ml sparkling water, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Stir the caster sugar into the lemon juice in a small bowl until dissolved, making a quick syrup.
2. Pour the red wine, pomegranate juice, brandy, and lemon syrup into a large pitcher.
3. Add the apple slices and pomegranate arils. Stir once to combine.
4. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
5. At the table, top with sparkling water and serve over ice, spooning extra arils into each glass.

Spiced Red Sangria with Clove and Star Anise

This is the one that makes the room smell like a candle you paid too much for. Whole cloves and star anise steep overnight in Garnacha, turning the liquid a deep, opaque burgundy with the spices floating at the surface like a still-life arrangement. Serve it in a wide-mouth pitcher so the star anise actually shows.

Do not leave the cloves in for more than 12 hours or the flavor turns medicinal. Fish them out after 10 hours if you are making this well ahead. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Garnacha or Grenache
• 240 ml fresh orange juice
• 120 ml brandy
• 60 ml honey
• 4 whole star anise
• 8 whole cloves
• 2 oranges, sliced into half-moons
• 1 blood orange, sliced into rounds (for color contrast)

Instructions

1. Warm the honey with 60 ml of the orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the honey is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. Combine the cooled honey mixture, remaining orange juice, red wine, and brandy in a large pitcher.
3. Add the star anise, cloves, orange half-moons, and blood orange rounds.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the cloves after 10 hours.
5. Pour into a wide-mouth glass pitcher for the table. Serve at room temperature or lightly chilled, no sparkling water needed.

Rose Sangria with Figs

Cut a fresh fig in half and it looks almost too beautiful to put in a drink. Put it in anyway. Provence rose turns a dusty pink in the pitcher, figs add their amber-seeded interior as a visual, and a little rose water keeps the flavor profile floral rather than boozy. This one suits a smaller, more intimate table.

Use ripe but firm figs so they hold their shape overnight. If figs are out of season, halved seedless red grapes give a similar visual with a milder flavor. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml dry Provence rose
• 240 ml white peach juice or white grape juice
• 90 ml elderflower liqueur
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 6 fresh figs, halved lengthwise
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 240 ml Prosecco, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Combine the rose, peach juice, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and rose water in a large pitcher. Stir well.
2. Nestle the fig halves cut-side out against the inside of the pitcher, then add the lemon slices.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
4. Just before serving, pour the Prosecco down the side of the pitcher and stir very gently once.
5. Ladle into glasses, making sure each one gets at least one fig half.

Non-Alcoholic Sangria with Black Tea and Pomegranate

This is a proper drink, not a consolation prize. Strong black tea brewed and chilled overnight gives the same depth and tannin structure that wine provides, pomegranate juice handles the color and tartness, and the fruit arrangement in the pitcher looks identical to every alcoholic version at this table. No one needs to know unless you tell them.

Use a full-bodied black tea like Assam or English Breakfast. Steep for 5 minutes only or it will turn bitter. This recipe is safe for all ages and for pregnant guests. Allergen note: none common.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 1 litre strong black tea (Assam or English Breakfast), brewed and cooled
• 480 ml 100% pomegranate juice
• 120 ml fresh orange juice
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 150 g fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 oranges, sliced into rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 240 ml sparkling water or ginger beer, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Brew the black tea with 4 to 5 tea bags in 1 litre of boiling water for exactly 5 minutes. Remove the bags and let the tea cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold.
2. Combine the cold tea, pomegranate juice, orange juice, and lemon juice in a large pitcher.
3. Stir in the honey or maple syrup until fully dissolved.
4. Add the cranberries, orange rounds, and cinnamon sticks. Refrigerate overnight.
5. At the table, top with sparkling water or ginger beer and serve over ice.

Sparkling Sangria with Prosecco

Light, fizzy, and gold-amber, this is the one that photographs like champagne but costs a quarter of the price. The key is restraint: no dark juice, no red wine, just Prosecco, peach brandy, and enough white grape juice to give the fruit something to float in. Thin green pear slices and white grape clusters make it look dressed, not busy.

Add the Prosecco only when you carry the pitcher to the table. Batching tip: prepare the base with brandy, juice, and fruit the night before, and keep two bottles of Prosecco cold for serving. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Prosecco, added just before serving
• 240 ml white grape juice
• 120 ml peach brandy or regular brandy
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 green pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 150 g seedless green grapes, halved
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 sprigs fresh mint

Instructions

1. Combine the white grape juice, peach brandy, and lemon juice in a large pitcher or airtight container.
2. Add the pear slices, halved grapes, and lemon rounds. Stir gently.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
4. When ready to serve, pour the chilled fruit base into a glass pitcher and slowly pour in the Prosecco. Stir once at the bottom only.
5. Tuck in the mint sprigs and serve immediately over ice.

Plum and Blackberry Sangria

The darkest pitcher on this list, nearly violet, with sliced plums fanning against the glass and blackberries caught in the liquid like suspended ink drops. Use a full-bodied Malbec and do not skip the blackberries: they bleed color overnight and make the sangria look professionally styled with zero effort.

Stone fruit note: plums soften after 12 hours. For firmer fruit, add the plum slices 4 hours before serving rather than overnight. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Malbec
• 240 ml black cherry juice
• 90 ml blackberry liqueur (such as creme de mure)
• 60 ml fresh lime juice
• 4 ripe red plums, pitted and thinly sliced
• 150 g fresh blackberries
• 2 tablespoons caster sugar
• 240 ml sparkling water, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Toss the blackberries with the caster sugar in a small bowl and leave for 10 minutes until they release some juice.
2. Combine the Malbec, black cherry juice, blackberry liqueur, and lime juice in a large pitcher.
3. Add the sugared blackberries (with their juice) and the plum slices. Stir once.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, adding plum slices only 4 hours before serving if you prefer firmer fruit.
5. Top with sparkling water and serve over ice.

Maple and Bourbon Sangria

This is unambiguously American and makes no apology for it. Bourbon replaces the usual brandy, pure maple syrup does the sweetening, and a Zinfandel base gives the whole thing a jammy, full-mouthed warmth. It is the one guests will ask about. Tell them it took ten minutes the night before and watch the reaction.

Use a bourbon you would actually drink, not a cheap mixer. The maple flavor is subtle after chilling, so add an extra tablespoon if you want it more pronounced. Allergen note: contains sulphites and tree nut-adjacent barrel notes in some bourbons.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Zinfandel
• 180 ml bourbon
• 240 ml fresh apple cider
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 240 ml ginger beer, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Whisk the maple syrup into the lemon juice in a small bowl until fully combined.
2. Combine the Zinfandel, bourbon, apple cider, and maple-lemon mixture in a large pitcher.
3. Add the apple slices and cinnamon sticks. Stir gently.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
5. At the table, top with ginger beer and serve over ice, cinnamon stick included in each glass.

Pear and Thyme White Sangria

Herbaceous and restrained, with a quiet elegance that pairs well with a neutral linen tablecloth. Fresh thyme sprigs look architectural against pale gold wine, and thinly sliced pears fan beautifully in a glass pitcher with a narrow neck. Pinot Grigio keeps the flavor clean so the thyme stays legible rather than buried.

Do not use dried thyme. Fresh only. Strip the leaves from the bottom half of each sprig before adding so the stems stay intact and look neat in the glass. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 15 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Pinot Grigio
• 240 ml pear nectar
• 90 ml St-Germain elderflower liqueur
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 3 ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, sliced into thin rounds
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 240 ml tonic water, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Combine the Pinot Grigio, pear nectar, elderflower liqueur, and lemon juice in a large pitcher.
2. Add the pear slices and lemon rounds. Stir gently.
3. Tuck in the thyme sprigs. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
4. Taste before serving and adjust with a teaspoon of honey if needed.
5. Top with tonic water and serve over ice, keeping a sprig of thyme in each glass for presentation.

Cranberry and Rosemary Sangria

Rosemary is a polarizing herb, which is exactly why it works here: it signals that someone thought about this drink. Paired with cranberry and a light Pinot Noir, it smells like a wreath and tastes like a cocktail. The dark red liquid with rosemary sprigs standing upright is the kind of thing that makes the table look styled rather than assembled.

Two sprigs is the right amount. More than three and the flavor turns piney. If rosemary is genuinely not to your taste, replace it with two strips of orange zest. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Pinot Noir
• 360 ml unsweetened cranberry juice
• 90 ml brandy
• 60 ml fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 150 g fresh cranberries
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 orange, sliced into rounds
• 240 ml sparkling water, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Warm the honey and orange juice together in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey dissolves. Cool completely.
2. Combine the Pinot Noir, cranberry juice, brandy, and cooled honey-orange mixture in a large pitcher.
3. Add the fresh cranberries, rosemary sprigs, and orange rounds. Stir once.
4. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours. Remove rosemary after 10 hours.
5. Top with sparkling water at the table and serve over ice, adding a fresh rosemary sprig to the pitcher for presentation.

Apple, Orange and Cinnamon Stick Sangria

This is the crowd version: accessible, crowd-pleasing, and built around ingredients that are in every grocery store in November. The amber color comes from the combination of Tempranillo and apple cider, the orange slices sit flat against the glass like little stained-glass panels, and the cinnamon sticks stay upright if you use a narrow-necked pitcher. Scale it up for a crowd by doubling every ingredient.

For a crowd of 16 or more, double the recipe and use a large drink dispenser rather than a pitcher. Label it clearly if other drinks are on the table. Allergen note: contains sulphites.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 8 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 750 ml Tempranillo
• 360 ml fresh apple cider
• 90 ml brandy
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 navel oranges, sliced into rounds
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 240 ml ginger beer, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Stir the brown sugar into the lemon juice until dissolved.
2. Combine the Tempranillo, apple cider, brandy, and lemon-sugar mixture in a large pitcher.
3. Add the apple slices, orange rounds, and cinnamon sticks. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight, at least 8 hours.
5. At the table, top with ginger beer and serve over ice, making sure each glass gets a cinnamon stick and a few fruit slices.

Grape and Pear Sangria for the Children’s Jug

This is the children’s pitcher and it looks just as good as the adult versions, which is the whole point. Red and green grapes with translucent pear slices in white grape juice turn the pitcher into something that earns its place on the table without any alcohol involved. Pair it with a matching label if you have two identical pitchers to avoid any mix-up.

Fully non-alcoholic. Safe for all ages. Label this pitcher clearly, especially if adult sangria versions are also on the table. Allergen note: none common.

Prep: 10 minutes | Total (including chill): 4 hours | Yield: 8 servings (approx. 250 ml each)

Ingredients

• 960 ml white grape juice
• 240 ml fresh apple juice
• 60 ml fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 ripe green pears, cored and thinly sliced
• 150 g seedless red grapes, halved
• 100 g seedless green grapes, halved
• 240 ml sparkling water or lemon-lime soda, added just before serving

Instructions

1. Stir the honey into the lemon juice until dissolved.
2. Combine the white grape juice, apple juice, and lemon-honey mixture in a large pitcher.
3. Add the pear slices and all the grapes. Stir gently so the fruit distributes evenly.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (overnight is fine).
5. At the table, top with sparkling water or lemon-lime soda and serve over ice. Ladle fruit into each glass.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make Thanksgiving sangria the night before?

Yes, and you should. All 14 recipes here are designed for overnight refrigeration, which lets the fruit fully infuse the liquid. Add any sparkling element (Prosecco, ginger beer, club soda) only when you carry the pitcher to the table.

How much sangria do you need per person for Thanksgiving?

Allow roughly 250 ml per person per two hours. Each recipe in this collection yields 8 servings of approximately 250 ml. For a four-hour gathering, make two pitchers or double a single recipe using a large drink dispenser.

What wine works best for Thanksgiving sangria?

For red sangria, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Grenache, and Malbec all hold up well to overnight maceration without turning bitter. For white sangria, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc stay crisp. Avoid very oaky wines; they clash with fruit and spice.

How do you keep fruit from sinking to the bottom of the sangria pitcher?

Slice fruit thinly so it remains suspended in the liquid. Whole berries like cranberries naturally float. Filling the pitcher at least two-thirds full also helps, because denser liquid gives the fruit more to rest on.

Is there a non-alcoholic Thanksgiving sangria that looks as good as the alcoholic versions?

Yes. The black tea and pomegranate sangria in this list uses strong brewed Assam tea as the base, which gives the same deep color and tannin structure as red wine. Paired with cranberries, orange rounds, and cinnamon sticks, it is visually identical to a red wine sangria.

Can you batch Thanksgiving sangria for a crowd of more than 16?

Double or triple any recipe and transfer it to a large glass drink dispenser with a spigot rather than a pitcher. Keep a full dispenser refrigerated and set out a fresh one as the first empties, so the table always looks styled.