Sangria Lemonade Recipe for a Bright, Fruity Pitcher

Sangria lemonade is a chilled pitcher drink made with dry white wine, lemonade, brandy, and slices of citrus and berries. The lemonade brings a lively sweet-tart flavor, while a short refrigerator rest lets the fruit infuse the wine; sparkling water added just before serving keeps each glass light and fizzy.

This is a flexible, lemonade-forward take on sangria, a drink associated with Spain and made in many regional and household styles. It is for adults of legal drinking age; enjoy responsibly.

Ingredients

1 bottle (750 ml) dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
3 cups (710 ml) prepared lemonade, chilled; choose a tart style if possible
½ cup (120 ml) brandy
1 medium orange (about 180 g), washed and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon (about 110 g), washed and thinly sliced, seeds removed
1 cup (150 g) strawberries, hulled and sliced
½ cup (75 g) blueberries
1 tablespoon (15 ml) simple syrup, optional, to adjust sweetness
2 cups (480 ml) chilled plain sparkling water
About 4 cups (560 g) ice, for serving

Instructions

Prepare the fruit. Wash the orange, lemon, strawberries, and blueberries under cool running water and dry them. Slice the citrus thinly so the pieces release their aroma without taking over the drink. Remove visible lemon seeds, hull and slice the strawberries, and leave the blueberries whole.
Build the sangria base. In a large pitcher (at least 2½ quarts / 2.4 liters), combine the white wine, lemonade, and brandy. Stir gently. Add the orange, lemon, strawberries, and blueberries, then stir once more to distribute the fruit. If you want a sweeter pitcher, stir in the optional simple syrup now; start with the listed amount rather than sweetening heavily before the flavors have had time to mingle.
Chill for flavor. Cover the pitcher and refrigerate it for 2 hours. This rest gives the citrus and berries time to perfume the liquid and softens the sharp edges of the wine and lemonade. Keep the pitcher chilled while it rests; do not leave it on the counter to infuse.
Finish just before pouring. Take the pitcher from the refrigerator and stir gently. Pour in the chilled sparkling water and give the drink one slow stir, just enough to combine without knocking out all the bubbles. Taste a small sip. If it seems too sweet, add a little more sparkling water; if it tastes too tart, a small splash of simple syrup can balance it.
Serve over ice. Fill glasses with ice and ladle in the drink, making sure each serving gets a few pieces of fruit. Avoid filling the pitcher with ice well ahead of time, since melting ice will dilute the sangria. If the pitcher will be on the table for a while, serve it in smaller batches and keep the remaining base cold.

Tips

Pick a dry, easy-drinking wine. A crisp, unoaked white wine lets the lemon and berry flavors show through. There is no need for an expensive bottle, but avoid a wine you would not enjoy sipping; its flavor remains noticeable after mixing. If your wine is noticeably sweet, leave out the optional syrup and taste the finished drink before adjusting.
Use cold ingredients and add bubbles last. Chilled wine, lemonade, and sparkling water help the pitcher stay refreshing without requiring lots of melting ice. Carbonation fades after it is stirred in, so wait until serving time to add the sparkling water. For a larger gathering, mix the still base in advance and pour the bubbles into each glass instead.
Keep the citrus from turning bitter. Thin slices give good citrus aroma, but very thick pieces with lots of white pith can become bitter during a long soak. Two hours is enough for this recipe. If making it earlier, remove the citrus after a few hours and refrigerate the liquid and berries until serving.
Adjust sweetness with a light hand. Lemonades vary widely: some are sharply tart, while others are quite sweet. Taste the mixed base before adding syrup, then make any final adjustment after chilling. A little extra sparkling water is an easy way to soften a strong or sweet batch without changing the fruit.

Serving Suggestions

Serve sangria lemonade very cold in wine glasses, short tumblers, or clear pitchers at a summer lunch or casual gathering. A glass with a little ice and a citrus slice looks inviting, but the fruit already in the pitcher is enough garnish. Use a long-handled spoon to reach the fruit, or place a small serving spoon beside the pitcher so guests can add a few berries and citrus slices to their own glasses.

This drink pairs well with foods that can stand up to its citrus and fruit flavors without competing with them. Try it alongside grilled vegetables, a simple cheese board, herbed chicken, seafood, or a tomato-and-bread salad. It also works with salty snacks such as olives, roasted nuts, or crisp crackers. For a picnic or outdoor meal, transport the still base in a sealed, chilled container and bring the sparkling water separately. Add the bubbles and ice after you arrive, rather than letting them go flat or melt during the trip.

For a self-serve table, set out the pitcher, a bowl of ice, and glasses rather than putting ice into the pitcher. Keep the pitcher refrigerated between pours when possible. If it will be out for a longer meal, pour smaller amounts into a serving carafe and replenish it from the cold pitcher as needed.

Variations

Make it alcohol-free. Replace the wine with 3 cups (710 ml) chilled white grape juice and replace the brandy with ½ cup (120 ml) strong chilled black tea or more grape juice. Combine with the lemonade and fruit, chill for 2 hours, and add the sparkling water just before serving. Grape juice makes the drink sweeter and fuller-bodied; tea adds a dry, gently tannic note. Taste before adding simple syrup, since juice and lemonade can already supply plenty of sweetness.

Use rosé. A dry rosé is a straightforward substitute for the white wine in the same 750 ml quantity. It gives the pitcher a pink color and a slightly more berry-like impression. Choose a dry style rather than a sweet rosé, then taste the chilled base before deciding whether it needs syrup.

Try a red-wine version. Use a fruity, light-bodied red wine instead of white, and consider swapping the blueberries for raspberries or sliced cherries. The color will be deeper and the drink more wine-forward, so serve it well chilled. Because red wines differ in tannin and sweetness, start without the optional syrup and adjust only after the two-hour rest.

Change the fruit with the season. Raspberries, blackberries, sliced peaches, or seedless grapes can stand in for some or all of the strawberries and blueberries. Keep the total amount of fruit close to the recipe so the pitcher remains easy to pour. Soft ripe peaches will break down more quickly than citrus, so add them closer to serving time if you want neat slices in the glasses.

Make it more tart or more sparkling. For a sharper drink, use a tart lemonade and omit the simple syrup. For a lighter, fizzier pitcher, increase the sparkling water to 3 cups (720 ml), tasting as you go; the wine and fruit flavors will be less concentrated. A lemon-lime soda can replace sparkling water, but it adds sweetness, so use less or skip the syrup.

Storage and Reheating

Refrigerate the sangria base promptly and keep it covered. Perishable ingredients should be refrigerated within 2 hours; if the pitcher has been sitting out longer than that, discard what remains. For the best flavor and fruit texture, use the base within 24 hours. It can be kept refrigerated for up to 2 days, although citrus pith may contribute bitterness and the fruit will become softer the longer it sits.

For planned leftovers, store the base without sparkling water and ice in a covered pitcher or food-safe container. Add fresh sparkling water only to the amount you are ready to serve. If the drink has already been carbonated, it is still drinkable the next day if kept cold, but the fizz will be reduced. Remove fruit that has become mushy before pouring, if desired. This is a cold drink, so reheating is not applicable; do not leave it at room temperature for extended storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make sangria lemonade ahead of time?

Yes. Mix the wine, lemonade, brandy, and fruit up to 24 hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate. The recipe’s two-hour chill is enough for the flavors to mingle, while a longer rest makes the fruit flavor more pronounced. Keep the sparkling water separate until serving so the drink stays lively.

What kind of wine is best for sangria lemonade?

Choose a dry, crisp white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. A dry Spanish white wine also suits this style, but there is no single required bottle. The wine should taste pleasant on its own and should not be strongly oaked or very sweet, since lemonade and fruit already bring plenty of flavor.

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of lemonade?

Not as a direct one-for-one substitute: lemonade is a sweetened, diluted drink, while bottled lemon juice is much more concentrated and tart. If you do not have prepared lemonade, combine about ½ cup (120 ml) lemon juice, ½ cup (100 g) sugar, and 2½ cups (590 ml) cold water, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust the balance before mixing it with the wine.

Can I leave out the brandy?

Yes. Omit it for a lighter pitcher and replace it with ½ cup (120 ml) extra lemonade or sparkling water. Without brandy, the drink will taste less rounded and less spirit-forward, but the wine, citrus, and berries will still make a flavorful sangria-style drink. Add sparkling water at serving time either way.

Why is my sangria lemonade too sweet?

The most common reason is using sweet lemonade along with a sweet wine or adding syrup before tasting. Stir in extra chilled sparkling water a little at a time, or use a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to sharpen the flavor. Next time, choose dry wine and tart lemonade, and leave out the syrup until the base has chilled.

Can I freeze sangria lemonade?

Freezing is not the best way to store a finished pitcher: the fruit becomes soft after thawing, and sparkling water loses its fizz. For a cold serving, freeze some of the base in ice-cube trays and use those cubes in glasses, but remember that they contain alcohol. For ordinary leftovers, refrigeration is the better option, with the fruit removed if it has become overly soft.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).