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Caramel Apple Sangria

Caramel apple sangria made with chilled pinot grigio, apple cider, and caramel vodka for a lightly sweet, fruit-soaked drink. After a 2-hour chill, add ginger ale for bubbles and pour over ice with sliced apples and pear.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
chilling 2 hours 5 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Drink
Cuisine: American
Calories: 235
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Caramel apple sangria base
  • 1 bottle (750 ml) pinot grigio Chilled.
  • 2 cup apple cider
  • 0.5 cup caramel vodka or caramel sauce
  • 2 apples Thinly sliced.
  • 1 pear Thinly sliced.
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 cup ginger ale or club soda Chilled.
Caramel rim
  • 1 caramel sauce For rimming glasses.
  • 1 coarse sugar For rimming glasses.

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Mix the sangria base
  1. Combine the pinot grigio, apple cider, and caramel vodka in a large pitcher and whisk well if using caramel sauce. Stir until the caramel is fully blended, leaving no streaks.
  2. Add the apple slices, pear slices, and cinnamon sticks to the pitcher. Press fruit lightly so the slices get coated in the wine mixture.
Chill
  1. Chill the pitcher at refrigerator temperature for at least 2 hours so the fruit soaks up the flavor. For best results, chill longer for deeper caramel-cinnamon notes.
Rim the glasses
  1. Dip the glass rims in caramel, then in coarse sugar. Place the glasses on a tray and let them stand until the rim sets slightly.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the pitcher with ginger ale or club soda just before serving. Pour over ice with some fruit in each glass.

Notes

Pro tip: if your caramel is thick, warm it briefly until pourable before mixing so it blends cleanly. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered pitcher up to 2 days (add ginger ale only when serving). Freezing isn’t recommended because ginger ale will lose its sparkle after thawing. For a lighter option, use a lower-sugar cider or a dry apple cider and reduce or swap the caramel vodka for a smaller amount of caramel sauce.