Holiday Hot-Tails Recipes

Warm Autumn Apple Sangria

November 21, 2024

The air is crisp, the evenings are cool, and it’s officially time to gather with loved ones. What better way to set the mood than with an Autumn Apple Sangria that warms the soul and fills your home with the inviting aromas of apples, cinnamon, cloves, and a hint of star anise? Infused with rich red wine and finished with the smooth taste of whisky, this seasonal favourite is as easy to make as it is to customise. Bring this to your next gathering and watch it quickly become the talk of the table—one sip, and your friends will ask for the recipe.

Drinking Temperature

Served at 120°F (48°C)

Ingredients

4 cups of apple cider
1 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground clove
1 bottle of red wine
2 shots of whiskey
4 to 6 apples (use a variety)
¼ tsp salt
6 to 10 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp whole cloves
1 tbsp whole star anise
2-3 sprigs of rosemary

Directions

In a small mixing bowl, combine all the sugar and ground spices.
In a large pot over medium heat, add the apple cider and the spice mixture. Stir to help the sugar and spices blend into the cider. Let the pot simmer for about 10 minutes.
For this recipe, store the sangria in two glass carafes. To prepare, thinly slice the apples. We recommend using a mix of varieties such as Granny Smith, Fuji, and Honeycrisp to add a pop of colour to your sangria. Equally distribute the apples between the carafes.
Next, add the cloves and star anise to the carafes, followed by your desired amount of cinnamon sticks and rosemary sprigs. Keep in mind that you can always add more, but you can’t remove flavours once they’ve infused.
Divide the spiced apple cider between the carafes. Then, pour the wine and whisky evenly into each. We suggest using a more affordable bottle of wine since it will be mixed with sugars and spices. Fruit-forward Spanish wines like Garnacha, Tempranillo, Rioja, or Malbec work beautifully for this recipe.
Cover the carafes and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.
To serve, pour one carafe’s contents into a medium-sized pot and warm it on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to let it boil to preserve the alcohol content.

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Serve an instant classic that everyone will be back for seconds with a Classic Coffee Cake.

We know this sangria recipe is the ideal centrepiece for your gatherings this season. To savour this spiced hot-tail to the fullest, we suggest enjoying it at the perfect temperature in an Ember Mug 2 with plenty of cinnamon sticks. Don’t worry—we won’t keep count!