Red Berry Sangria Recipe

Make or measure purée

If you don't have prepared strawberry purée, hull and roughly chop 1 cup fresh strawberries and blitz in a blender until smooth; strain quickly through a fine sieve for a silkier texture (reserve solids for garnish). Measure 1/2 cup purée for the recipe.

Hull and thinly slice 1/2 cup fresh strawberries. Thinly slice half an orange into rounds and quarter the rounds if preferred for easier serving. If using fresh cranberries, rinse and pat dry.

In a 1.5–2 quart pitcher, combine 1.5 cups Merlot and 1/4 cup St-Rémy VSOP brandy. Stir gently to combine.

Add 1/2 cup strawberry purée, 1/2 cup cranberry juice and 1/2 cup old fashioned lemonade to the pitcher. Whisk or stir until the purée is fully incorporated and the mixture is uniform in color.

Add the sliced strawberries, optional cranberries, and orange slices to the pitcher. Gently press a few slices against the pitcher wall with a spoon to release some juices and improve infusion.

Cover the pitcher and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally 2–4 hours, to let flavors meld. For a more pronounced fruit infusion, refrigerate up to 8 hours. Do not add ice or ginger soda yet.

When ready to serve, fill serving glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup ice per glass). Give the sangria a gentle stir, then pour about 3/4 cup of the chilled sangria base into each glass, leaving room for ginger soda.

Top each glass with roughly 1/4 cup chilled ginger soda (adjust to taste) to add effervescence and a ginger bite. Gently stir once to combine.

Garnish each glass with a couple of strawberry slices, a small orange slice, and a sprig of mint if using. Serve immediately.

If preparing in advance for a crowd, keep the sangria base chilled and store ginger soda separately. Combine and add ice just before serving to maintain fizz.