White Wine Sangria with Cranberry and Blood Oranges

cranberrybloodorangefallspicedsangria What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with Blood Orange Cranberry Sangria. Nothing livens up a gathering (big or small) like a big batch of sangria outfitted with fresh fruit, a little ginger beer and a generous dose of some classic fall flavours. It's easily made in a big pitcher and gets even better with time to soak up all the juices. In other words, it's a holiday party must.

Cranberry Reduction:
2 cups cranberries
3 Tbsp. agave syrup, pure maple syrup, pure honey, or granulated sugar
½ cup water

Sangria:
⅔ cup blood orange juice, freshly squeezed (~ 2 large oranges)
3 blood oranges, to slice
2 cups cranberries
3 sticks cinnamon
fresh rosemary
1 bottle white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
2 cups ginger beer
3 shots brandy, such as cognac or calvados

Cinnamon Sugar Rim:
3 Tbsp. coconut sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Garnish:
cinnamon sticks
fresh rosemary
star anise

For the Cranberry Reduction:
Add the cranberries, agave syrup, and water to a small pot and bring to a simmer on the stove over medium heat. The cranberries should begin to pop open and become soft.

Let mixture simmer for 2 minutes then remove from heat to cool. The mixture will thicken up during this time.

For the Sangria:
While the reduction is cooling, juice the oranges and slice the remaining into small pieces.

Once cooled, spoon the reduction into the bottom of a large pitcher. Add the orange juice, orange slices, cranberries, cinnamon sticks, and rosemary on top.

Pour the wine over top followed by the ginger beer and brandy. Mix with a long cocktail stirrer to incorporate the cranberry reduction at the bottom. The color should turn a darker red. Let the sangria sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to soak up the flavors

When ready to serve, prepare the cinnamon sugar rim mixture on a small plate. Us an extra orange rind and run it along the rim of a cocktail glass (hold the glass upside down to prevent the juice from dripping down the sides of the glass). Dip the rim of the glass into the cinnamon mixture to coat

Use a ladle to serve the sangria into cocktail glasses. Make sure to grab some of the fruit. Garnish with extra cinnamon sticks or rosemary or star anise if desired.

The sangria will keep (and get better with time) in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Makes 6 servings.